The 2026 TTU Comparative Literature Symposium: Artificial Intelligence and the Futures of the Human

New Generations, New Critical Inspirations

In the age of AI, what are the place of the “human”

in the humanities and the role of the “humanities”

in defining the human? How do we—and how do literature,

cinema, and art—reconsider creativity, meaning, and culture

in a world where machines can generate and purport to

interpret texts, images, and ideas? What new ethical,

philosophical, and pedagogical challenges arise when human

and machine intelligence intersect? And how does the need

to reconceive the humanities in the face of the rise of AI

clarify, challenge, or transform our understanding of what it

means to be human?

This symposium brings together scholars, educators, artists,

and technologists to reflect critically on the futures of

humanistic inquiry and the futures of the human in the age of

AI. We invite contributions that explore the opportunities and

challenges AI presents for literature, history, philosophy, art,

languages, and cultural studies.