AI and Academic Research: The Future of Discovery
Discover how artificial intelligence is transforming the landscape of higher education and scholarly inquiry in this insightful panel from the Ivan Allen College AI & Society Series.
How is artificial intelligence changing the way knowledge is created? Examine AI's growing role in academic research, including how researchers use emerging tools to accelerate discovery, approach complex questions, and navigate the ethical and practical implications of AI-assisted scholarship.
Panelists
Sebastian Porsdam Mann, Assistant Professor CeBIL, University of Copenhagen
Sebastian Porsdam Mann is Assistant Professor at the University of Copenhagen’s Center for Advanced Studies in Bioscience Innovation Law. With training spanning philosophy, neuroscience, applied ethics, and international human rights law, his research examines how emerging technologies can advance scientific progress while navigating ethical and regulatory challenges. His work has directly explored generative AI in academic writing and idea generation, as well as AI's potential role in the future of academic peer review, positioning him to address both the opportunities and risks AI creates throughout the research process.
Kevin Mills, Head of Education and Government GTM, OpenAI
Kevin Mills is Head of Education and Government Go-to-Market at OpenAI, where his work focuses on expanding the responsible use of artificial intelligence across educational and public-sector institutions. His work includes initiatives supporting the adoption of AI tools in education, including ChatGPT Edu and partnerships focused on helping students, educators, and institutions develop practical experience using AI. He brings an industry perspective on how AI tools are moving from experimentation into real academic and institutional environments.
Sarah H. Salter, Director of the Writing Program & Professor of Pedagogy, Emory University
Sarah H. Salter is a Teaching Professor and Director of the Writing Program at Emory University whose research focuses on American literature, periodical studies, collaboration, and digital humanities. Her scholarship has included interdisciplinary work using machine-learning methods to analyze the visual structures of historical newspapers, combining literary study, library science, and computational approaches. Her perspective brings an important humanities dimension to the conversation about how computational tools and AI are changing research methods, scholarly interpretation, writing, and knowledge production.
Allegra Smith, Assistant Professor of Technical Communication, S School of Literature, Media, and Communication, Georgia Institute of Technology
Allegra Smith is an Assistant Professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Literature, Media, and Communication whose research examines technical and professional communication, digital technologies, user experience, access, and equity. Her teaching and research include work involving generative AI, digital communication, and undergraduate research, alongside extensive scholarship on how people interact with technology. She brings a valuable perspective on how AI is affecting research, writing, communication, pedagogy, and the experiences of the people using these emerging tools.