Hosted by the Provost’s Office, the Program in Computing and the Information Technology Department, the Kenyon Summit on Liberal Arts x AI provides the College community with an opportunity to lead with clarity and purpose as artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes teaching, research and creative work.
Rather than treating AI as a threat, Kenyon will convene a campus dialogue that acknowledges concerns while focusing on the constructive opportunities AI presents. Leaning into Kenyon’s literary tradition and interdisciplinary strength, the summit will take a bold step in exploring how the liberal arts can engage AI with imagination, rigor and humanity.
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Why AI, Why Now?
Across higher education, the arrival of generative AI has created both excitement and unease. At Kenyon and in the liberal arts more broadly, many worry about the disruptive effects of AI: on academic integrity, on traditional skills and on the culture of teaching itself. Indeed, many workshops on AI in the liberal arts focus on combatting plagiarism or “AI-proofing” assignments. These anxieties are real, and they deserve acknowledgment; at the same time, we cannot allow fear to dominate the conversation.
The summit frames AI not as an existential threat but as a timely opportunity for the liberal arts to show their enduring value, preparing students to navigate technological change with clarity, imagination and humanity. During this three-day workshop, the Kenyon community will:
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Explore opportunities for AI to strengthen teaching, research and creative practice.
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Identify the capacities our students will need to thrive in an AI-shaped world.
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Ground our engagement with AI in Kenyon’s liberal-arts mission of cultivating critical inquiry, creativity, and ethical reflection.
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Create space for dialogue where multiple perspectives are heard, and where the Kenyon community can experiment, question and imagine together.
Keynote Speakers
Dr. D. Graham Burnett
D. Graham Burnett is the Henry Charles Lea Professor at Princeton University and a national thought leader on AI and higher education. His work examines AI’s capabilities and limits—and what they mean for attention, learning, and the future of the liberal arts.
Dr. Michelle Weise
Michelle Weise is a leading expert on AI, workforce transformation, and lifelong learning. She leads Long Life Learning Strategies and is the award-winning author of Long Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs That Don’t Even Exist Yet.
Schedule
Each day of the summit will provide opportunities to hear from Kenyon faculty already experimenting with AI in their teaching and research, engage with national thought leaders who bring broader perspectives on the role of AI in higher education, and participate in hands-on workshops that allow faculty, staff and students to explore AI tools directly and reflect on their implications for the liberal arts.
11 - 11:15 a.m. | Welcome and Orientation
Archon Auditorium, Oden Hall
Remarks from Provost Jeffrey Bowman framing the summit’s goals and Kenyon’s role in shaping the future of liberal arts education in the age of AI.
Register for the Livestream: Welcome and Orientation
11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. | Keynote Address: D. Graham Burnett (joining remotely)
Archon Auditorium, Oden Hall
D. Graham Burnett, a national thought leader in AI and higher education, offers a clear-eyed look at AI’s capabilities and limits, and what they mean for the study of the liberal arts.
Due to weather conditions, D. Graham Burnett will be presenting remotely.
Register for the Livestream: Keynote Address: D. Graham Burnett
12:30 - 1:15 p.m. | Lunch in Peirce
Lower Peirce Hall (Leach)
Available to anyone who would like to continue the discussion with members of the Kenyon Community in Peirce Dining Hall.
2 - 4 p.m. | Kenyon Voices on AI: Part I
Lowell House 100
Students and Faculty from across the College share short reflections on how AI is already touching their teaching, research, and creative practice. Moderated discussions are as follows:
• American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Cohort conversation on "Understanding the Process of Critical AI Literacy"
Panelists: Chris Gillen, Alyssa Quinn, Ruth Heindel, Orchid Tierney, Anna Scanlon, Travis Landry
• Kenyon Student AI Club
• Jim Skon and Noah Aydin: Presenting their work on Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL)
12 - 1 p.m. | BoodleBox Hands-On Session
Chalmers Library 330
This hands-on session explores BoodleBox AI at Kenyon College, focusing on how artificial intelligence can enhance creativity, critical thinking and collaboration in academic settings. The session moves beyond theory to active discovery, engaging participants directly with a collaborative AI platform designed for education. Trial licenses will be available to participants for further exploration.
Register for the Livestream: BoodleBox Hands-On Session
4:10 - 6 p.m. | Kenyon Voices on AI: Part 2
Chalmers Library 320
Part 2 of the moderated discussions are as follows:
• R. Jordan Crouser, "Trust, at Scale"
• Joan Slonczewski, “The Human Mind and the AI Person”
9:30 - 10:30 a.m. | Research Chatbot: Keenious
Chalmers Library 330
Join us for an introduction session to the Keenious AI tool and get hands on with AI powered learning and discovery! Keenious is a focused tool designed with the help of librarians around the world. The Keenious team will demo the platform, let you test it live and walk through the 6 week trial and setup details.
Register for the Livestream: Research Chatbot: Keenious
11 a.m. - 12 p.m. | Keynote Address: Michelle Weise
Gund Gallery Community Foundation Theater
Michelle R. Weise is a leading thinker on the future of education, work, and lifelong learning. Her book, "Preparing for Jobs That Don’t Even Exist Yet," explores how longer careers and rapid technological change call for a new ecosystem that enables adults to move fluidly between learning and work over a lifetime.
Register for the Livestream: Keynote Address: Michelle Weise
This event is supported by a generous gift from John W. Adams P’93,’13, GP’21, former chair of the Kenyon Review Board of Trustees.