Digital humanities at Kenyon pioneered human-centered artificial intelligence applications within humanistic inquiry. Students develop conceptual frameworks for understanding our Age of Information — from dataism and algorithmic thinking to synthetic biology and artificial intelligence. Our unique approach to computational thinking positions students to engage with the many practical, theoretical and ethical issues surrounding technological innovation and social change.
Students interested in digital humanities are encouraged to start with our introductory course, "Programming Humanity." Advanced courses include "AI for Humanity" and "Frontiers of AI." We focus on finding interdisciplinary solutions to today's challenges.
Student Research
Student research has evolved alongside advances in AI digital humanities, from creative projects and text analysis to groundbreaking audits of language models. Current research addresses real-world AI challenges, from analyzing thousands of ChatGPT conversations to developing healthcare systems and sports management tools — all focused on human-centered AI principles.
The AI Lab
Digital Humanities Research Fellows can apply to join the AI Lab after completing at least two digital humanities courses. The lab completed a competitive $60,000 IBM-Notre Dame Tech Ethics Lab grant, one of eleven awarded internationally, benchmarking AI decision-making in high-stakes juvenile recidivism contexts. Current research includes theory of mind in generative AI systems, hypersuasion methodologies, human-chatbot interaction analysis, and multi-agent frameworks for social applications.
Faculty Spotlight
Visiting Instructor of Humanities Jon Chun and Professor of Humanities and Comparative Literature Katherine Elkins serve as co-principal investigators representing the Modern Language Association for the U.S. AI Safety Institute, Task Force on AI Safety. They are also members of Meta's Open Innovation AI Research Community.
AI Week at Kenyon
Student Council’s recent AI Week partnered with faculty to explore the role of artificial intelligence in higher education. A two-week series of panels, workshops and presentations were dedicated to exploring artificial intelligence and its place at Kenyon.
Related Programs
Katherine Elkins
Jon Chun
