Sean O’Brien ’09, an associate vice president at Internet2, a national tech consortium for higher education, is UMW’s inaugural AI Expert-in-Residence. He recently spoke to students, faculty, staff and community members during a talk sponsored by the Center for AI and the Liberal Arts. Photo courtesy of Anand Rao.
When Sean O’Brien ’09 graduated from the University of Mary Washington, smartphones were the latest technology tools on the market. Within six years, almost everyone had one of these handy devices in their palm or pocket.
Yet, it only took two months for ChatGPT to top 100 million users, he added, illustrating the acceleration of artificial intelligence, or AI. “Humanity has always lived through technological revolutions,” O’Brien said, citing the printing press, telephone and internet. “But when a tech storm arrives, the question is, how do we navigate it?”
That’s what O’Brien – an associate vice president at Internet2, a national tech consortium for higher education – discussed when he returned to campus last month to speak about the potentials and pitfalls of artificial intelligence. As UMW’s inaugural AI Expert-in-Residence, he’s providing students, faculty, staff and community members his critical insight on these tools and their tremendous impact on individuals, institutions and society.
His talk, sponsored by UMW’s Center for AI and the Liberal Arts, tackled these topics and more, creating a roadmap for how leadership, especially in higher education, should prepare for these rapid changes. Read more about UMW’s inaugural AI expert-in-residence.
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