Generative Artificial Intelligence Research Guide
This Generative Artificial Intelligence research guide offers information to help library users learn AI basics. It includes context and advice for engaging with generative AI, though please note that it does not represent University policy.
Critical AI Learning Community
The Critical AI Learning Community provides the space and time for students, faculty, and staff to examine the role of AI in academia through a critical lens. We host presentations and discussions on the ethical, social, and academic implications of generative tools, ensuring that Brown’s engagement with AI is as thoughtful as it is innovative. Join us bi-weekly on Mondays from noon to 12:50 p.m. in the Rockefeller Library’s Patrick Ma Digital Scholarship Lab (Room 137) as we explore the evolving AI landscape together. Visit the Generative Artificial Intelligence Guide to register or contact CLEAR Interim Director Lorna Dawes at lorna_dawes@brown.edu for more information.
AI in Library Instruction
For Students
The Library offers instruction and workshops designed to help the Brown community navigate the complexities of AI in academic research. We offer open-enrollment workshops covering essential competencies, such as foundational best practices for AI engagement and specialized methodologies for AI-enhanced literature reviews. These sessions provide hands-on experience with a variety of practical tools, including Google Notebook LM and Gemini, and are designed to accommodate participants of all skill levels. For a complete list of upcoming sessions and registration details, please visit the Library’s event calendar.
For Faculty and Instructors
For faculty and instructors seeking to integrate AI technologies into the curriculum, our library experts are available to partner in classroom instruction. These sessions focus on the ethical and practical application of AI within the context of course requirements and can be scheduled through the instruction request form. Additionally, instructors are encouraged to consult with library experts for personalized guidance on incorporating AI into courses.
AI in Digital Scholarship and Digital Humanities
The Center for Digital Scholarship (CDS) is committed to exploring and advancing the use of AI for digital scholarship and digital humanities.
Experiments in Artificial Intelligence & Digital Scholarship Projects
Since 2023, CDS has worked with faculty on research through Experiments in Artificial Intelligence & Digital Scholarship projects. These projects are collaborations to explore how researchers might utilize AI for digital scholarship projects.
Digital Humanities Workshops
CDS offers a variety of workshops year round on digital humanities methods. These workshops integrate AI in a few ways. For example, we teach workshops on using Generative AI to write code for projects since writing computer code can be a barrier for digital humanities scholars who do not have a computer science background. Workshops on how to utilize AI for transcription, sentiment analysis, and a variety of other methodologies cover both the benefits and limitations of using AI tools for these purposes.
The Humanities and AI Roundtable
Each spring since 2022, CDS has hosted the Humanities and AI Roundtable, which consists of events with three invited speakers from across campus who discuss their work in the humanities and AI. For more information, contact CDS Director Ashley Champagne at Ashley_Champagne@brown.edu
AI in Archives
Staff in Special Collections at the John Hay Library are actively integrating AI into their work to refine internal archival workflows, ensuring greater accuracy in digital records, and to enhance the accessibility of primary source materials. Plans to pilot AI-driven solutions to generate metadata for large-scale collections are taking shape, with the goal of significantly accelerating the discoverability of previously unprocessed materials.
Faculty and students interested in the intersection of AI and archival practice are invited to engage directly with Hay staff. For inquiries regarding current projects or to discuss the implications of AI in special collections, please contact hay@brown.edu.
AI in Digital Publications
As part of its work to expand possibilities for presenting research in fully peer-reviewed multimodal, born-digital publications, the Brown University Digital Publications (BUDP) team is experimenting with generative AI to streamline and enhance project efficiency. For more information about the use of generative AI in editorial workflows contact BUDP Director Allison Levy (allison_levy@brown.edu).