Professor of Communication in the Department of Communication and Digital Studies, Anand Rao, has been selected to serve on the National Communication Association’s (NCA) Collaboratory on Artificial Intelligence, a groundbreaking initiative that brings together educators, scholars, and communication professionals to address the rapidly evolving impact of AI in higher education. As part of the collaborative team, Dr. Rao will participate in the inaugural NCAi Collaboratory session at the NCA Convention on November 22, which aims to develop community-driven responses to AI integration in communication pedagogy, research, and assessment. The session will feature breakout discussions where communication scholars and faculty can explore various topics related to AI’s impact on the field. Dr. Rao will lead a focused discussion on AI Chatbots in Communication.

The Collaboratory, supported by the Teaching and Learning Council and highlighted as one of First Vice President Dr. Jeanetta Sims’ Spotlight Panels, focuses on leveraging human intelligence and creativity alongside artificial intelligence. This initiative will establish ongoing collaborative structures to foster community resources and facilitate crucial discussions about AI’s role in communication education. For more information about the Collaboratory and to access AI resources, visit: https://www.natcom.org/spectra/ncai-collaboratory-and-generative-ai-resources

Professor of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao attended the exclusive OpenAI Higher Ed Forum on October 10, 2024, in New York City. The event, hosted by OpenAI, brought together influential leaders in higher education to discuss the future of AI in academia.

The forum, held at the historic Puck Building, featured presentations and discussions with prominent figures in AI and education, including OpenAI executives and renowned academics. Speakers addressed crucial topics such as the future of AI in higher education, building AI-powered universities, and frontline applications of AI in academic settings.

Dr. Rao’s participation in this high-level gathering underscores UMW’s commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements in education. “Attending the OpenAI Higher Ed Forum was an invaluable opportunity to engage with leaders shaping the intersection of AI and higher education,” said Dr. Rao. “The insights gained will be instrumental in enhancing our approach to integrating AI technologies at UMW.”

By representing UMW at this event, Dr. Rao has positioned the university to be part of the ongoing dialogue about AI’s role in transforming higher education.

Anand Rao attended the AI & Big Data Expo in Amsterdam, NL, on October 1-2, 2024. He was the moderator and panelist for a session titled “Barriers to Navigate: People, Processes and Technology.” Researchers and industry leaders joined him on the panel for the day 1 track, “Unleashing the Power of Data for All.” The expo was part of TechEx Europe, which is expected to draw over 7,000 participants.

Professor of Communication Anand Rao spoke to The Atlantic – Online Feature for an article titled “The Metacognition Revolution,” which was published in August. In the interview, Rao discussed the special topics course he taught in Fall 2023, DGST 301N: ChatGPT and Generative AI, and the importance of introducing and using AI in the classroom in order to demonstrate both the dangers and opportunities associated with its use. He also discussed how, by building their chatbots, students developed a healthy skepticism of AI as they better understood some of its limitations. Read more.

Professor of Communication Anand Rao co-presented a webinar about AI for Small Businesses on April 3, 2024. My co-presenter was Steve Gladis and the webinar was hosted by the George Mason Enterprise Center. The title was “Level 2: Building Chatbots for Small Business.” The webinar is part of a series offered by Rao and Gladis. The third webinar will be hosted in May by the Mason Enterprise Center.

Anand Rao was invited by NC State University’s Campus Writing and Speaking Program to speak with faculty about AI in education. He gave a presentation on Monday, March 18, 2024, titled “Argumentation, Communication, and Critical Thinking: Teaching Durable Skills to Prepare Our Students for Success in an AI-World” and then ran a faculty workshop on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, titled “Building Chatbots for AI Literacy.” Both presentation and workshop built upon work that Rao has done over the last two years on AI in education as he works to develop models for student AI literacy and how to incorporate AI technology into classrooms in a responsible way.

Anand Rao, Chair of Communication and Digital Studies, attended the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) meeting in Vancouver, Canada, to share research on the development of AI tools to support the teaching of argumentation and debate. He and his co-authors had a poster presentation at the AAI Conference’s AI4Education Workshop titled “Augmented Debate-Centered Instruction: A Novel Research Agenda for Responsible AI Integration in Education.” The paper argues for a debate-centered model of instruction that addresses concerns over assessment and AI reliance while helping students develop critical, durable skills. With presenters from around the world, the workshop focused on bridging innovation and responsibility in AI research. Collaborating organizations at the workshop included  Google Research, DuoLingo, OpenStax, Princeton University, Berkeley – University of California, Rice University, Jinan University, and the University of British Columbia.

A copy of the paper is available at https://www.debaterhub.com/aaai