Policy Taboos: From [A]cademic [I]ntelligence to [A]rtificial [I]ntelligence (11th May, 2025)

Policy Taboos: From [A]cademic [I]ntelligence to [A]rtificial [I]ntelligence: Implications of AI in/for the Academy

The rapid uptake of generative AI has ignited urgent debates about how artificial intelligence is reshaping not only society at large, but the very foundations of academia. In teaching, learning, and research, AI presents powerful new tools—but also profound ethical and intellectual challenges.

To explore these tensions, the UWA Public Policy Institute and the Forrest Research Foundation hosted a thought-provoking panel on AI in/for the academy, drawing on expert insights from across law, engineering, linguistics, and machine learning.

The event opened with a warm welcome from Professor James Arvanitakis, Director of the Forrest Research Foundation, who reminded guests of the university’s responsibility to foster informed, respectful—and at times uncomfortable—conversations about disruptive technologies. James brings decades of experience in higher education leadership and public engagement, and is the founder of Respectful Disagreements, a project that champions the art of civil debate in an increasingly polarised world.

The panel, moderated by Associate Professor Paul Maginn, Director of UWA Public Policy Institute, featured four distinguished speakers:

Professor Conrad Tucker, Carnegie Mellon University – Africa
Director of CMU-Africa and Associate Dean for International Programs-Africa, Professor Tucker is an expert in generative design, machine learning, and the ethical implications of AI. His research spans engineering, security, robotics, and biomedical systems.

Professor Julia Powles, UWA Tech & Policy Lab
A globally recognised legal scholar, Professor Powles investigates the intersections of privacy, intellectual property, internet governance, and algorithmic accountability. She is the founding director of UWA’s Tech & Policy Lab.

Professor Zach Aman, UWA School of Engineering
Chair of UWA’s Generative AI Think Tank and a chemical engineer, Professor Aman focuses on gas hydrate systems, environmental safety, and the role of AI in scientific modelling and simulation.

Associate Professor Celeste Rodríguez Louro, UWA School of Social Sciences
A sociolinguist and co-leader of UWA’s Generative AI Think Tank, A/Prof Rodríguez Louro researches inclusive AI, language change, and decolonisation. Her forthcoming book with Nyungar scholar Glenys Collard will be published by Cambridge University Press.

Together, the panel unpacked key tensions in the AI-academia relationship: innovation vs. exploitation, efficiency vs. integrity, and automation vs. human agency. A lively Q&A followed, with audience members probing issues from student assessment to epistemic bias in large language models.

Guests continued the conversation over drinks and networking at Forrest Hall, with the Derbarl Yerrigan river as a fitting backdrop for a conversation about navigating change with care and intelligence.
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Видео Policy Taboos: From [A]cademic [I]ntelligence to [A]rtificial [I]ntelligence (11th May, 2025) канала UWA Public Policy Institute