CLA AI Summary

The College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University is engaged in a broad spectrum of artificial intelligence (AI) research, marked by interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation across the humanities, social sciences, and the arts. We both engage in research to understand AI and use AI tools in our research. Multiple labs are included in this collaborative research project. The Governance and Responsible AI Lab (GRAIL) anchors the cross-disciplinary effort to understand the ethical, social, and policy implications of AI. The Computational Social Science Lab uses AI in research on topics including political behavior and understanding the interface between technology and governance, with innovative methods applied to study non-verbal cues in elite political behavior. The Computational Linguistics @ Purdue Lab (CL@P) uses AI for research in natural language processing and computational modeling seeks to improve language learning and the interpretability of AI systems, highlighting the integration of linguistic theory and AI design. This collective research is augmented by the state-of-the-art Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence (VRAI) Lab.  Beyond the labs, historians and sociologists trace the historical development of AI and its impact on scientific practice and societal structures, exploring the evolution of scientific organizations in the face of technological and political challenges. Philosophers contribute by examining foundational issues in AI, such as the nature of computation and the ethical dimensions of AI and cognitive science. Together, this research group positions the college as a leader in exploring the multifaceted opportunities and challenges presented by AI in the contemporary world.