The Boston University AI Task Force was created in September 2023 by Provost ad interim Kenneth Lutchen to assess and make recommendations for the future of Generative AI in education and research at BU. Comprising faculty experts across multiple disciplines (including the sciences, engineering, humanities, law, business, and education), the task force researched the effectiveness of practices in place across the University and at other major research institutions and worked to develop proposals that best position BU to amplify learning and research outcomes through the use of AI and prevent its misuse or negative impact. The task force submitted its final report during the spring 2024 semester. Additional information on the task force’s work can be found on the Hariri Institute for Computing website.
Co-Chairs
Yannis Paschalidis
Distinguished Professor of Engineering, College of Engineering; Director, Rafik B. Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering
Wesley J. Wildman
Professor of Philosophy, Theology and Ethics, School of Theology; Professor of Computing and Data Sciences and Chair of Faculty Affairs, Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences
Members
Mary Churchill
Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives & Community Engagement; Professor of the Practice and Program Director, Higher Education Administration, Wheelock College of Education & Human Development
Mark Crovella
Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts & Sciences; Chair of Academic Affairs, Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences
Anne Danehy
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs; Associate Professor of the Practice of Mass Communication, Advertising & Public Relations, College of Communication
Pary Fassihi
Senior Lecturer, Arts & Sciences Writing Program, College of Arts & Sciences
Juliet Floyd
Borden Parker Bowne Professor of Philosophy, College of Arts & Sciences; Director, BU Center for the Humanities
Priya Garg
Associate Dean, Office of Medical Education, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Amie Grills
Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs; Professor of Counseling Psychology & Applied Human Development, Wheelock College of Education & Human Development
Tal Gross
Associate Professor of Markets, Public Policy & Law, Questrom School of Business
Wendy Heiger-Bernays
Clinical Professor of Environmental Health, School of Public Health
Keith Hylton
William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor; Professor of Law, School of Law
Daniel Kleinman
Associate Provost for Graduate Affairs; Professor of Sociology, College of Arts & Sciences
Gail McCausland
Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs; Clinical Professor of Periodontology, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine
Matt Parfitt
Associate Professor of Rhetoric, College of General Studies
Wilson Wong
Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering
Staff Liaison
Deidre Fisher
Project Manager, Strategic Initiatives, Office of the Provost
Background
All of us are witnessing in real time the rapid emergence of generative AI across so many aspects of daily life, including its potential to transform the quality of education, learning outcomes, and experiences in both promising and concerning ways. Moreover, while the technology presents remarkable opportunity for innovation and knowledge creation, so too it presents challenges in areas like academic integrity, intellectual property, and job security. Throughout the country, universities have been steadily formulating guidance on positive ways to engage generative AI in classwork and research, with some already having published institution-wide approaches.
At Boston University, work is well underway within several schools, programs, and units in the Provost’s Office to develop similar initiatives and policies – all very positive efforts. However, most of these efforts are independent and not necessarily connected to one another, and their goals vary from simply setting policies for how AI can and cannot be used by students to providing guidance on how to constructively engage AI.
Charge to the Task Force
- Gather information about initiatives throughout BU and effective practices being adopted at other major research universities that are likewise focused on balancing the creative, multidisciplinary, and ethical use of generative AI.
- Develop specific recommendations for how generative AI can be used to amplify learning outcomes in undergraduate and graduate education and for faculty and students in research.
- Create a set of recommended policies and best practices that can be adopted – and adapted – University-wide regarding the use of AI by students and faculty and help prevent its misuse or negative impact on learning outcomes or in research.
- Lay groundwork for a University-wide repository of examples of positive uses for generative AI that others can adopt, as well as misuses others should want to avoid.
The Task Force Report
Member Resources
Task force members can access information and documents through Sharepoint.