AI in Action: Insights from the UCSB Community

AI CoP Spring Symposium Call for Presentation Abstracts 

Symposium Dates: April 28–May 2, 2025

UCSB’s AI Community of Practice is excited to announce the 2nd AI Spring Symposium, co-sponsored by the Office of Teaching and Learning, the Office of the CIO and the Department of Communication Rupe conference. The weeklong Symposium presentations will be on Zoom with in-person socials and a closing reception. All UCSB community members are invited to participate.

Submit your Presentation Abstract by March 10

image of a book with items swirling around it

 

AI Symposium Focus

The goal of the 2nd AI CoP Spring Symposium is to create space for the UCSB community to share their insights, concerns and data-driven approaches for using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to advance the mission of our University.

The Symposium will feature daily keynotes and spotlight presentations that explore AI’s diverse applications and perspectives on strategic integration into our University, with a focus on critical considerations such as privacy, security, diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility. Rupe sessions will feature research on students’ use of Generative AI and its effects.

Symposium Presentation Formats

We encourage presenters to review UCOP’s Responsible AI Principles (page 8) in support of privacy, security, diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility.

Keynote Presentations

Daily keynotes will inspire and frame the Symposium. Invited presentations will explore how AI can transform our University and unpack related challenges.

Spotlight Presentations

Individual presentations will be 15 min in length. Presenters may choose how to format their presentation (e.g., slides, screenshare show-and-tell, demo). Each hour-long session will feature 3 spotlight presentations (grouped thematically by the conference organizers) and will include 15 min of Q&A and group discussion. Alternatively, groups of collaborators can request an hour-long session for their presentations.

Posters

Showcase your AI innovation, research or use case by creating a digital poster. We will share your presentation in a curated online space for symposium participants to view and discuss and have your poster printed for the closing reception. Awards will be given to the highest ranked student submissions. Teams are welcome to collaborate on posters.

Need Presentation Inspiration?

AI in Teaching and Learning

  • Students’ everyday, innovative and/or ethical uses for using AI in their studying and campus lives.
  • Innovative pedagogies or curriculum that engage students with the benefits, limitations and risks of AI.
  • Ways for instructors to leverage AI to create engaging, inclusive courses, authentic assessments and/or foster dialogue with and between students.
  • Ways to use AI to prepare students for future careers or studies.
  • Accounts of teaching and learning experiences with AI by teams of instructors, TAs, and/or students: What did you try? In what ways did it work or not work?

 

AI in Research

  • Applications of AI to support discipline-specific research.
  • Innovative research methodologies or study designs that leverage AI to gain novel insights or tackle complex problems.
  • How researchers can utilize AI tools to streamline literature reviews, data analysis, and hypothesis generation.
  • Accounts of research projects or experiments involving AI by teams of professors, post-docs, research assistants, IT professions and/or students: What did you try? How did it enhance or hinder the research process?

 

AI for Workplace Productivity

  • Innovative workflows or processes that harness AI.
  • How managers and employees can leverage AI to automate routine tasks, support decision-making, and foster productive communication.
  • Accounts of implementing AI solutions in the workplace by teams of managers, employees, and/or consultants: What AI tools did you adopt? How did they impact productivity and end-users’ experience?

 

AI for Applications Development

  • Case studies of AI-based features integrated into applications to improve user experience (e.g., recommendation systems, natural language processing features, or predictive analytics).
  • Approaches to building AI applications that prioritize fairness, transparency, and inclusivity.
  • How AI tools (such as GPT-based code generation tools, automated testing, or code completion tools) are transforming the way developers write and maintain code.
  • Accounts of applications development teams experimenting with AI: What did you try? In what ways did it work or not work?

 

Rupe Conference Sessions (1:30-2:30 Mon-Thurs)

Research on University Students' use of Generative AI and its Effects

For more information on the Department of Communication’s Arthur N. Rupe Biennial Conference, see https://www.comm.ucsb.edu/news-events/annual/rupe

  • Social science research about influences on, use of, and effects from, GenAI by university students.
  • Research designs, data sources, and models providing insights into implications of GenAI for student well-being, academic performance, creativity, etc.
  • Summaries of individual studies, systematic literature reviews, or meta-analyses about the major relationships and insights from the early stages of GenAI.

 

Past Events

AI CoP: AI  Spring Symposium, 2024 (recordings)

Questions?

For questions, contact Dr. Lisa Berry (lisa_berry@ucsb.edu) or Deputy CIO Joe Sabado (joesabado@ucsb.edu).