Using collaborative civil discourse to address AI issues

Discussions about artificial intelligence (AI) often take a polar tone in which AI is seen as “all good” or “all bad”. Conversations often seek to advance an extreme perspective rather than to consider other sides of an issue. This session will discuss how leaders can use collaborative civil discourse techniques when discussing this controversial issue (and others) to achieve mutual win-win outcomes. Participants will learn ways to have crucial conversations with colleagues in ways that foster respect and work towards finding solutions instead of just winning an argument. Both the advantages and disadvantages of artificial intelligence will be explored as an example of how to have a civil discourse on a difficult subject. Dr. Beaman will describe how she built a course at Mary Baldwin University to explore the ethics of using artificial intelligence using civil discourse techniques. Students were encouraged to take an extreme position, as well as commenting on the extreme positions of others. Then, as debates often do, the students were required to take the opposing view from the position that they originally took, in order to see the issue from the opposing side. The students then used artificial intelligence in an ethical way, and discussed the ethical and unethical uses of artificial intelligence in scholarly writing. Educators can have these discussions with students to build honorable scholarship. Administrators and other leaders can use civil discourse during board meetings to arrive at mutually agreeable solutions to problems. This session will discuss the techniques and describe the best practice example.