AI and the Humanities: An Interdisciplinary Conference

Call for Proposals: AI and the Humanities: An Interdisciplinary Conference Hosted by the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tennessee Southern

March 6-7, 2027 | Pulaski, Tennessee
Proposal Deadline: October 20, 2026

The University of Tennessee Southern is pleased to announce an interdisciplinary conference exploring the crucial intersection of AI and the Humanities. 

Conference dates: March 6-7, 2027

Submission deadline: October 20, 2026

Location: University of Tennessee Southern, Pulaski, TN

Call for Proposals:

"Technology's promise is great, but it requires our liberal arts in equal measure, the fuzzy and the techie working together in pursuit of shared human goals"

-Scott Hartley The Fuzzy and the Techie

AI is a Humanities issue. Questions about meaning, creativity, language, ethics, interpretation, education, and human identity have become central to public conversations about artificial intelligence. 

This conference aims to bring together researchers, teachers, students, and stakeholders to examine how AI is reshaping the humanities, and how the humanities can shape the future of AI. We recognize that there are many stakeholders at the heart of this discussion, and we therefore invite perspectives that range from the academic to the corporate. We especially welcome proposals that deal with pedagogy, humanities research, issues pertinent to four-year public regionals, and regional workforce development. We welcome presentations from academic scholars, humanities educators, graduate and undergraduate students, community partners, and industry leaders.  

This conference has a further specific focus on the particular institutional and geographic contexts similar to the University of Tennessee Southern. Nestled in the rural rolling hills of southern middle Tennessee, 70 miles south of Music City (Nashville, TN), and 45 miles north of Huntsville, AL’s growing tech hub, the University of Tennessee Southern straddles diverse industries with seemingly competing interests. Further, as a rural area with developing agricultural business, the arts and humanities often play second fiddle to disciplines with more perceived industry demand. Resource scarcity further stymies efforts to develop innovative technologies such as AI and their scholarly and pedagogical application, particularly at public regional universities. This conference will explore the role that humanities and AI can play in rural areas with competing industry needs, at public regional institutions, and in areas experiencing cultural drought.

Possible topics may include but are not limited to the following:

AI and the Humanities

·      Ethics and moral responsibility in AI

·      Rethinking or reaffirming the value of the humanities in light of AI

·      Human intelligence and/vs artificial intelligence

·      Definitions of the human in the age of AI

·      AI and the future of humanities scholarship

·      AI-informed humanities research

·      AI and authorship

·      Fine Arts and AI

·      Creative writing in the age of AI

·      Linguistics and LLMs

·      Environmental humanities

·      Resistance to AI

AI in the Classroom

·      Critical thinking, reading, and writing with/alongside/vs AI

·      Teaching with AI

·      "AI-proof" assignments

·      AI policies in the writing classroom

·      Student perspectives

AI, Industry, and Leadership

·      Professional and technical writing with AI

·      Industry leadership and the humanities

·      Humanities administration and leadership

·      Curriculum development

Presentation formats: 

Acceptable presentation formats include pre-formed panels and roundtables, individual presentations, and workshops. Proposals should clarify the presentation format. 

Submissions for the above formats should include the following:

·      250-300 word abstract and a brief bio (up to 150 words) for individual presentations

·      Approx. 600-word abstract for pre-formed panels and workshops along with a brief bio for each presenter (up to 150 words). Panels should include 3-4 speakers and a chair; roundtables should include no more than 6 presenters and a moderator or respondent. 

Submission: Please submit your proposals for any of the above approved formats to https://tinyurl.com/yc5xr63f by October 20, 2026. Please contact the College of Arts and Sciences with any questions: [email protected].