The University of Portland will host a national three-day conference over fall break titled “Catholic Higher Education and AI: Mission-Based Teaching for the Future of Humanity,” aiming to explore how Catholic institutions can adapt their educational practices in the age of artificial intelligence.
The event, scheduled for Oct. 18-20, will be co-hosted by UP’s College of Arts and Sciences and the Dundon-Berchtold Institute for Moral Formation and Applied Ethics.
The conference will focus on the ethical challenges posed by generative AI, its potential impact on education and the ways in which AI could influence religious engagement and creativity.
In an Oct. 4 press release, President Robert D. Kelly expressed his excitement about the university's opportunity to host such an event.
“For centuries, Catholic colleges and universities have helped society achieve greater understanding of new technologies and their impact on the human experience,” Kelly said. “As artificial intelligence advances, Catholic institutions like the University of Portland are uniquely positioned to convene important conversations on this world-changing tech and its ethical dimensions. I am thrilled that UP will welcome leaders from Catholic institutions across the country for this significant conference.”
Attendees will hear from prominent figures in the field of AI and ethics, including Rev. Philip Larrey, Ph.D., a Boston College philosophy professor and advisor to the Vatican on AI and digital technology, who will deliver the keynote address.
Additional speakers include Irina Raicu, director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, and Charles Jennings, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.
More information on the event’s agenda can be found here.
Julianna Pedone is the News and Managing Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at pedone25@up.edu.
