AI in Higher Education: Navigating Our Future with Critical, Ethical, and Human-Centered AI Literacy

In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more prominent in higher education, it's essential to develop AI literacy, which is the ability to understand, use, monitor, and critically reflect on AI applications. This skill isn't just a technical one; it's a vital extension of the critical thinking we already teach, like evaluating information and understanding authority. This presentation will take a compassionate and human-centered approach, moving past "AI shaming" to encourage thoughtful engagement with these new tools. The discussion will cover the critical ethical and environmental issues tied to AI, including bias and inequality, social justice, concerns about privacy and data use, and touch on the environmental impact of AI technologies. The session will also present a framework for how higher ed can incorporate these competencies into  curricula, showing how librarians and educators are well-equipped to guide these conversations. By linking AI literacy to established information literacy principles, we  help our campus communities navigate the intricate world of AI ethically, responsibly, and effectively.

About the Speakers: 

Lucy Campbell (MLIS) is a Senior Assistant Librarian at SDSU, serving as Electronic and Continuing Resources Librarian since 2023. With over 15 years experience as an academic librarian, she has a broad research portfolio that includes work in UX, discovery systems, digital resource management, and qualitative methods including metadata practices, and student research engagement.

Keven Jeffery (MLIS) is a Librarian at SDSU, serving as Digital Technologies Librarian since 2007. Keven brings technical and infrastructure capability, particularly in programming, digital systems, API integrations, and technological innovation. His responsibilities include investigating and implementing emerging digital technologies and applications for the university library.

Sarah Tribelhorn (MS, MMLIS), is a Senior Assistant Librarian at SDSU, serving as the Sciences and Sustainability Librarian since 2022. Sarah has been instrumental in leading sustainability initiatives in the University Library, and increased campus and community engagement in sustainability projects, AI literacy, and citizen science programming