University of Richmond to advance ethical AI education, increase access

The University of Richmond has received more than $700,000 in grant support from the National Endowment for the Humanities to establish The Center for Liberal Arts and AI (CLAAI – pronounced clay).

CLAAI will bring together researchers, students and educators from 15 colleges across the Associated Colleges of the South to explore pressing social, cultural and legal questions and dimensions of artificial intelligence (AI).

“This center will build on our institutional strengths in digital and public humanities and visual AI,” Joan Saab, executive vice president and provost, said. “It will also elevate the role of the University of Richmond and its partner institutions in helping to shape the future of AI, particularly in the context of higher education.”

Richmond was one of only five colleges and universities across the country to receive funding through the NEH’s Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence program. Lauren Tilton, professor of digital humanities, will direct CLAAI, which will open in the fall of 2025.

“Along with building on UR’s international reputation in digital humanities, CLAAI will connect a network of innovative liberal arts colleges to address pressing AI challenges by building on the power of the humanities and our commitment to cutting-edge interdisciplinary teaching and research,” Tilton said.

Associated Colleges of the South President Anna Drake Warshaw said ACS is thrilled to partner with University of Richmond and support CLAAI.

“ACS institutions face shared challenges and opportunities navigating AI in a liberal arts context. The center will foster inquiry, exchange, and innovation across our network, ensuring that critical thinking and humanistic values help shape AI’s use in higher education,” Warshaw said.

To deepen collaboration, CLAAI will host eight faculty fellows each year to explore a shared annual theme. Six fellows will come from across the Associated Colleges of the South, and two will be appointed annually from UR.

CLAAI will also serve as an innovative leader in AI education. In collaboration with UR’s Digital Scholarship Lab, the Teaching and Scholarship Hub, and the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, the Center will support course development in AI across the disciplines; hold an institute for faculty development around AI; and host workshops and lectures to transform critical exploration and integration of AI at universities in UR’s network and globally. In addition, CLAAI will expand ethical AI education and increase access to AI tools within UR’s regional network of institutions.