About AILA→
We aim to engage a broad, interdisciplinary community of participants in discussions and activities related to artificial intelligence, exploring and facilitating multi-way interactions between work in artificial intelligence and work across the liberal arts.
What is Artificial Intelligence, and how is it changing the world as we know it?
There has never been a better time to engage in critical conversation about the diverse applications of AI and to consider the repercussions of its use.
AILA is here to guide you toward scholarship, discussion, events, and other learning opportunities that are interdisciplinary and critically minded. We believe in the importance of asking big questions and thinking about these issues across disciplinary boundaries. Explore our library of:
- AI Ethics Discussion
- Tools and Resources
- Events to help learn and reflect
- AILA Newsletter
What We Do
Find out what is happening in AI now and how it may affect your interests. We provide a curated list of AI-related news articles!
Want to engage in conversations about Artificial Intelligence? Send us ideas for articles and comment on any of our blog posts to get the conversation started!
Want to learn about upcoming events and talks organized by us? Check out our upcoming and past events through our Events page!
Interested in how you can use Artificial Intelligence? Want to read up on blogs and tutorials about AI tools and more?
Artificial Intelligence Book Club
The AI Book Club is brought to you by AILA and the Jones Library in Amherst and is supported by the Frost Library at Amherst College! We will meet monthly on Sunday afternoons to explore a mix of nonfiction and the occasional fiction book related to AI. Discussions will be led by AILA students and Amherst faculty, with opportunities for both in-person and online engagement. No technical background required, just curiosity and a willingness to think together. Open to the public! Borrow your copy from Jones or Frost Libraries.
All meetings will be held at 2pm in Pemberton Lounge, Chapin Hall (room 108) at Amherst College.
Dates:
- September 21st
- October 19th
- November 16th
- December 14th
Join the online discussion on Padlet!
Email aila@amherst.edu to join the mailing list or for more information.
📚November Book Selection!
This November, the AI Book Club will be reading Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari.
📍Next Meeting:
Sunday, November 16th @ 2pm
Pemberton Lounge, Chapin Hall (room 108) at Amherst College
See our latest news below
Join us in critical conversation and learning at our next event!
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Movie Screening: “i, Robot” on 10.23.25
Join us for a movie screening this Thursday, October 23rd @ 8pm in the Keefe Theater. The AI Film Club brings the Amherst community together for screenings of movies that explore artificial intelligence and machine learning. We show a range of films from speculative science fiction to documentaries about real-world innovations. Each screening is followed…
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The Wild Robot: AI Film Club Screening 10.26.25
The AI Film Club is hosting it’s first Family Movie Screening THIS Sunday, October 26th @ 1 pm in Keefe Theater. Bring your kiddos for robot crafts and activities! Treats and juice boxes! And coffee for the grown ups, of course. Hosted by AILA and the Jones Library. Email: aila@amherst.edu with questions. This is a…
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The Eye of the Master with Matteo Pasquinelli Tuesday, October 21, 4:30 – 6:00
CHI Think Tank, Lyceum 101 Matteo Pasquinelli discusses his book, The Eye of the Master (Verso Books, 2023). About the book: A “social” history of AI that finally reveals its roots in the spatial computation of industrial factories and the surveillance of collective behaviour. What is AI? A dominant view describes it as the quest “to solve intelligence” –…
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AI in Action: Practical Tools for Corporate Sustainability Impact
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly reshaping the sustainability landscape — from streamlining ESG reporting to uncovering hidden risks and scaling real impact. Join us for AI in Action: Practical Tools for Corporate Sustainability Impact to discover how AI can be applied ethically and effectively to advance your organization’s goals. Featuring Dr. Panos Panagiotakopoulos, a leading voice at the intersection…
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October 15th, 2025
AILA hopes you had a beautiful fall break 🙂 upcoming events Alumni Speaker Series – Will Fishell! Will Fishell ‘22 Graduate Research Fellow at Oakridge National Labs 📅 October 20th (Monday) | Chi Think Tank, Amherst College Lyceum Sustainability Hackathon!! By AI in the Liberal Arts, Sustainability at Amherst, and Ideas 2 Innovation 📅 November…
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Will Fishell (‘22)
AILA Alumni Speaker Series Our first speaker is presented by AI in the Liberal Arts (AILA) and the Sustainability Office on October 20th at 5pm in the CHI Think Tank AILA and the Sustainability Office will host Will Fishell (’22) as the first guest in the AILA Alumni Speaker Series! His talk, “AI in the…
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Save the Date! The 3rd Annual AI in Sustainability Hackathon is Coming!
We’re thrilled to announce the AI in Sustainability Hackathon for the 2025–2026 academic year will be held on November 15th and 16th. Brought to you by AI in the Liberal Arts (AILA) and the Sustainability Office, this event invites students from all disciplines to explore how artificial intelligence can drive solutions for a more sustainable…
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Creativity On Trial: How AI Is Raising New Challenges For Copyright Law
AILA hosts local Art Lawyer, Kate Lucas Writeup by: Caitlin Kennedy Downey, AILA The intersection of artificial intelligence and creative production is forcing society to revisit some of the most fundamental questions in copyright law: Who, or what, can be an author? What is the distinction between the “expression of an idea” and what is…
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The AI Book Club: Contributions to the Intellectual Ecosystem of Amherst College
The vision for the AI Book Club: The AI Book Club strengthens Amherst’s intellectual ecosystem by creating a mini-community that reflects AILA’s mission: bringing together people from different walks of life, professions, stages of life, and levels of AI knowledge to explore big questions through literature. By using literature as a common language, we create…