Vanderbilt Divinity School was recently awarded a $30,000 grant from the Wabash Center to study artificial intelligence and its impact. The project, “We Can Wait No Longer: Educating Theological Educators About Artificial Intelligence,” seeks to inform Divinity faculty of the mechanics behind AI and the latest advancements. As ethicists and theologians, the faculty are uniquely qualified to play a critical role in how AI infrastructure is developed and governed moving forward to ensure issues of social injustice and discrimination are not perpetuated. With the recent establishment of the College of Connected Computing, the Divinity School believes there is no better time to contribute to teaching and scholarship in this area. 
“Artificial intelligence has the potential to significantly advance faculty members’ teaching of scriptural analysis, Biblical interpretation, and historical depth,” Dean Yolanda Pierce said. “This grant will provide Divinity faculty with the tools they need to further their research, to improve teaching and learning, and to help produce ethically responsible algorithms.”
James P. Byrd, Cal Turner Chancellor’s Chair of Wesleyan Studies and Professor of American Religious History, serves as the project lead. “I am grateful to the Wabash Center for their generous support of our proposal,” Byrd said. “We are excited to collaborate with VU faculty and industry partners to construct equitable AI platforms that serve us in our teaching lives but also serve our community.”
Year one of the project includes workshops on the fundamentals of artificial intelligence led by industry guest speakers and VU faculty members whose work intersects with AI. Workshops will continue into the second year, exploring topics such as AI platforms for the classroom, protection of intellectual property, AI safety and security, and AI research tools. The culminating event of the project will be a multidisciplinary symposium to discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on higher education.
The Divinity School faculty invite thought partners across campus to join them in this radical collaboration. For more information, please contact Cheryl Williams (cheryl.a.williams@vanderbilt.edu).