On September 19, the College of Indigenous Studies supported the first statewide AI Symposium at UAF's Troth Yeddha' campus. Convened by UA faculty Jennifer Carroll, Andrew Harnish, Jonas Lamb, James Ryan, and Erin Trochim through a Faculty Initiative Fund, the symposium brought together faculty from across the University of Alaska system, along with visiting representatives from Amazon, Google, and Grammarly. The event facilitated discussions on the ethical integration of Artificial Intelligence into teaching and research, helping establish a clear, strategic path for AI adoption across pedagogy, research, and policy throughout the UA system.
A major consensus point centered on Pedagogy & Critical Thinking. Professors' roles as educators is evolving. Education has never been simply about content transmission, but now, the importance of the university in fostering discernment, resilience, and intellectual courage is more critical than ever. Participants of the symposium agreed that educators should redesign courses around problem-finding, treating AI as a thought partner that students must learn to critique and build upon. Transparency is key; we need open discussions about both the benefits and the potential for cognitive decline from over-reliance on these tools, reinforcing that intellectual struggle is essential for true learning.
In Research, the group addressed the future of the traditional paper and peer review, discussing solutions like AI-augmented research and "Adversarial Collaboration" to strengthen validation. Participants also raised serious concerns about intellectual property and the critical need for private, secure systems (like "air-gapped" models) to ensure data sovereignty.
For Policy, the group advocated for a flexible framework instead of rigid, system-wide rules that is tailored to the needs of individual disciplines and administrative departments and linked to our existing academic integrity codes.
In addition, participants discussed the importance of community engagement and the central role of the university in supporting Alaskans to make informed decisions about their own and the State’s AI use. Participants proposed increasing public education events such as non-credit courses and lectures.
Jennifer Carroll, Associate Professor for the Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development (DANSRD), was a key organizer for this symposium and is a strong proponent for critical discussion around academic integrations of AI. According to Carroll, the AI issues of most concern for the College of Indigenous Studies and DANSRD are cultural bias and equitable access.
"I noticed right away that AI had significant implications for Alaska Native students, rural students, and Indigenous and non-mainstream knowledges and cultures," says Carroll. "First, Alaska Native and other non-mainstream perspectives aren't well-represented in the material AI is trained on, and—to the extent that it is available—there are issues of cultural appropriation and intellectual property theft. Second, there is the issue of equitable access. AI pressures students into expressing their ideas in standard academic language and knowledge paradigms. It is essential that rural and Alaska Native students have access to and support for using any tool that is available to other students."
"At CIS, we have worked hard to expand space in academia for Alaska Native knowledges and ways of knowing. AI threatens our progress if faculty and students fall back onto Western academic models."
-Jennifer Carroll
The immediate next step is the formation of a UA AI Advisory Council. This council is charged with developing a compelling vision, securing vital funding, and coordinating efforts across the system. Its work will be furthered at a proposed Second Statewide AI Symposium, which will feature a discussion of an IRB-approved study on AI use at the University and a keynote by AI futurist Bryan Alexander.
