Keynote: E. James Holland University Symposium on American Values

Light refreshments will be provided.

Media Literacy in an AI World: Artificial Intelligence, Media Literacy and American Values

How can media literacy help us retain creativity and critical thinking in an AI world?

Digital tools are used to create a tsunami of entertainment, information and persuasion that floods into our daily lives because media messages influence knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. Some people are overwhelmed and others are exhilarated by the rise of generative AI, which is quickly becoming normative for both creators and consumers alike. At the same time, mistrust and distrust are rising because it’s so easy to use digital media tools to activate strong emotions, simplify information and attack opponents. Thanks to algorithmic personalization, new forms of propaganda are being created and shared on social media. Tailored to our deepest hopes, fears and dreams, these messages can, at times, seem irresistible.

However, the practice of media literacy education offers a humanistic response to the changing nature of knowledge caused by the rise of big data and its reshaping of the arts, business, the sciences, education and the humanities. Learn how educators can help learners ask critical questions that enable people to recognize the subtle forms of manipulation embedded in all forms of symbolic expression. Gain an understanding of the business models and technological affordances of AI, machine learning, and big data in order to distinguish between harmful and beneficial AI tools, texts and technologies. Learn why creative and critical thinking, when it is combined with intellectual humility and empathy, help people develop the identity of a lifelong learner. When media literacy is embedded in education at all levels, people can find common ground, restore trust, and deepen respect for the shared human values of care and compassion.

About the Speaker

Dr. Renee Hobbs is a professor of communication studies at the University of Rhode Island and founder of the Media Education Lab.

She is one of the world’s leading authorities on digital and media literacy education. As a teacher, researcher, activist and media professional, she has offered programs for educators on four continents and produced some of the leading empirical research on the subject.

At the University of Rhode Island, Hobbs serves as the co-director of the Graduate Certificate in Digital Literacy, a professional development program for educators that was officially recognized in the U.S. Office of Education’s National Education Technology Plan (2015). Hobbs has provided staff development to educators from across the United States and on four continents around the world.

Over 25 years, Hobbs has developed award-winning multimedia curriculum and has published more than 150 scholarly articles, professional publications and books including:

• “Routledge Companion on Media Education, Copyright and Fair Use,” 2018
• “Create to Learn: Introduction to Digital Literacy”, 2017
• “Exploring the Roots of Digital and Media Literacy through Personal Narrative,” 2016
• “Discovering Media Literacy: Digital Media and Popular Culture in Elementary School,” 2013
• “Digital and Media Literacy: Connecting Classroom and Culture,” 2011
• “Copyright Clarity: How Fair Use Supports Digital Learning,” 2011
• “Reading the Media: Teaching Media Literacy in High School English,” 2007