Why Study the Past? An Undergraduate Seminar about the Humanities in the Age of AI

This seminar, led by Dr. David Aers (Duke) and Dr. Chandler Fry (PCC), is open to college students from Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State, Durham Tech, and Piedmont Community College. Sponsored by Duke's Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program and UNC's Morehead-Cain Impact Educator Fund, this seminar represents a unique opportunity for students not just to build community across institutions, but also to reflect on issues relevant to our lives, both inside and outside the university. The seminar will be held on October 29th in the Carpenter Room in the Rubenstein Library, room 249 (Duke University, West Campus), from 4:30-5:30. Dinner at Greer Street Garden in downtown Durham will follow for participants. Students interested in participating should email Chandler Fry at chandler.fry@duke.edu by October 15th. No specialization within the humanities is assumed; students need only have an interest in the below topic. What does the study of the past do for us as humans? What do we lose about ourselves as human persons the more we prioritize calculation and data over ethical reflection on traditions and concepts that are increasingly lost?