Finding an Intelligent Way to Talk about AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is posing a host of new challenges to society, and Rauf Arif is most interested in its impact on human communication.
Communication is high on the research agenda of Rauf Arif, assistant professor of journalism in the Department of Mass Communication.
Tracking recent changes in the ways we interact and communicate, Arif has studied the role of social media and artificial intelligence (AI). In fact, he attributes the success of recent social movements to the rise in the use of social media with. “Social media fosters a faster, more immediate type of communication, and it is a big reason why the #metoo and #blacklivesmatter movements have had such a broad reach,” says Arif. “For communication students, there is so much that remains to be learned about the long-term use and impact of social media.”
Arif is now turning his attention to how the AI phenomenon affects human communication. “Like social media movements, AI, ChatGPT, and other software are reshaping our society and our everyday lives, including student learning platforms,” said Arif, who is conducting research on how students define AI and how it affects relationships between educators and students.
“ Like social media movements, AI, ChatGPT, and other software are reshaping our society and our everyday lives, including student learning platforms ... ”
With an academic career bolstered by his print and broadcast journalism background, Arif has published in major newspapers in Pakistan and is a regular contributor to Forbes magazine. As a relatively new international faculty member, Arif has learned to adjust his own communication with students. “I quickly realized to engage today’s students you need to use real-world examples and cultural references to keep them connected to the coursework,” says Arif, who embraces using technology to help students transition back to a face-to-face classroom environment following months of pandemic-driven online learning.
“ ... to engage today's students, you need to use real-world examples and cultural references to keep them connected to the coursework. ”