NEWS
What does AI mean for the way we think, create and learn? This autumn, the AI for Learning initiative invites participants to read and reflect together through a new reading circle and a literature seminar.
The focus is on broader questions about how AI may affect knowledge, learning and academic work, rather than on using individual tools. Participants will have the opportunity to explore their ideas with others and engage with different perspectives.
A reading circle with room for curiosity and doubt
How can we understand AI as a technology, collaborator and competitor? Starting on 6 October, the reading circle How to think on AI will use podcasts, lectures, academic texts and fiction to spark conversations about AI’s role in academia. Topics range from knowledge and creativity to ethics and the relationship between technology and natural resources.
No prior knowledge or established position is needed. Curiosity and an interest in the questions are enough, and both students and staff are welcome. The group will meet for a series of four sessions, allowing time to explore ideas in depth and for new questions to emerge. One session will bring the group together online with participants from reading circles at other universities.
The sessions are designed to provide space for shared reflection and in-depth conversations about what AI means for higher education.
A literature seminar on AI and human thinking
For those who would like to attend a single session, the literature seminar Thinking – Fast, Slow and Artificial will take place on 27 October. The focus is on human reasoning: how is our own thinking affected when we turn to AI for help, and what might this mean for teaching and student learning?
Shaw and Nate’s (2026) preprint Thinking – Fast, Slow and Artificial: How AI is Reshaping Human Reasoning and the Rise of Cognitive Surrender will provide the starting point for a critical discussion with colleagues. Participants can read the full text or choose sections that particularly interest them and bring their own questions to the discussion. The seminar will be held in English via Zoom.
AI for Learning
Both activities are part of AI for Learning, Umeå university’s initiative to develop knowledge, share experiences and support collegial learning about AI. The sessions offer time to pause and reflect on questions that arise in studying, teaching and research. Register using the links below.
