Tech Explained: UND explores human-centered future of AI at annual showcase in Simple Terms

Second annual event highlights interdisciplinary collaboration, ethical questions and emerging research across campus

The University of North Dakota brought together faculty, students and community members March 20 for its second annual AI and Human Innovation Showcase, highlighting how artificial intelligence is reshaping teaching, research and creative work — and prompting deeper questions about what it means to be human in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Held in the Memorial Union, the event featured keynote speakers, panel discussions and presentations designed to explore both the opportunities and challenges of AI across disciplines. Throughout the day, speakers emphasized that while the technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, the human element — creativity, ethics and critical thinking — remains essential.

“This whole session is about the connection of AI and humanity, and there’s no better way to be human than to engage more closely and more richly,” said UND President Andrew Armacost, who gave introductrory remrks at the the evenbt.

The showcase is part of UND’s AI and Human Innovation Initiative, a university-wide effort supported by the Provost’s Office that brings together faculty and students from across campus to examine AI through a human-centered lens.

Emily Cherry Oliver, chair of the Department of Theatre and co-director of the initiative, said the effort builds on strengths long rooted in the arts and humanities.

“I think the biggest thing — and what the initiative has been trying to do for the last several years — is that the things artists and those in the humanities are really good at are critical thinking, creative thinking and collaboration. Those are the skills that are imperative as we utilize AI for the future,” Cherry Oliver said.

She added that the event is designed not just to showcase work, but to spark ongoing dialogue.

“Our hope is that today’s event will create more collaboration and more questions for future discussion.”

Exploring opportunities and challenges

Keynote speaker Justin Montigne, a faculty member in music, reflected on the complexity of the current moment, noting that many students and faculty are navigating both excitement and uncertainty as AI becomes more integrated into daily life.

“I think I got a lot of feedback about overwhelm,” he said. “I got a lot of feedback about frustration with the access to the technology and training or learning knowledge necessary to use the technology.”

He also pointed to a broader sentiment shared across campus conversations.

“There was this general feeling of inescapability or inevitability of AI, that it’s everywhere now,” Montigne said.

Despite those concerns, Montigne encouraged attendees to consider how AI can support, rather than replace, human creativity.

“I am more afraid of making music without AI than I am of making music with it,” he said.

A second keynote speaker, entrepreneur and former government leader Shawn Riley, reinforced the importance of adapting to rapid technological change.

“Adaptation is what is going to make it possible for all of us to continue working over the next five years,” Riley said.

Drawing on his background in business and public service, Riley described how AI is reshaping the workforce and redefining value.

“AI is not just removing work. It is redefining what it means to be valuable,” he said.

He noted that as routine tasks become automated, individuals will need to focus more on higher-level thinking, creativity and decision-making.

A cross-disciplinary conversation

The showcase brought together perspectives from across campus, reflecting UND’s commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration.

“Our university focus on what the future of higher ed is in the wake of or in the presence of AI is something we are examining closely,” Armacost said.

He emphasized the importance of connection across fields.

“I think there’s no better place to do that than at the University of North Dakota, which has such a rich understanding and a rich commitment to education across all fields, how they intersect and how they interplay with one another.”

That approach was reflected in conversations throughout the day, as participants from disciplines including the arts, humanities, sciences and medicine explored how AI is influencing their work.

Panel discussions also addressed ethical considerations, including the tension between AI’s benefits and its potential environmental and societal impacts. Speakers noted that many individuals recognize these concerns while still using the technology, highlighting the challenge of balancing innovation with responsibility.

Research and innovation in action

In addition to keynote presentations and panels, the showcase highlighted hands-on projects demonstrating how UND researchers and students are applying AI in practical ways.

One project illustrated how AI is being used in medical research. Samarth Singhal, working with Sandeep Singhal in the School of Medicine & Health Sciences, is developing AI models to generate realistic histology images used in cancer research. By training diffusion models on tissue samples, the work helps address a key challenge in AI: limited data.

The generated images can be used to train predictive models and better understand how existing models make decisions. Singhal noted that many current systems function as “black box models,” producing results without clearly showing what features they rely on.

By enabling researchers to create customized images and test how AI models respond to specific patterns, the work aims to improve transparency and trust in AI-driven diagnostics.

Projects like this reflect the broader goals of the AI and Human Innovation Initiative: not only to explore what AI can do, but to better understand how it works and how it can be used responsibly.

Looking ahead

Throughout the event, a consistent theme emerged: while AI is rapidly transforming many aspects of work and learning, its future will be shaped by how people choose to use it.

Speakers emphasized that the skills most needed in this evolving landscape — critical thinking, creativity, adaptability and collaboration — are deeply human ones.

As UND continues to expand its work in artificial intelligence, organizers hope the showcase will serve as a foundation for future conversations, partnerships and innovation across campus and beyond.