Lecture: Critical AI Language and Literacy Colloquium

Résumé de la formation

How do we make meaning, create knowledge, and shape public debate when algorithmic systems mediate what can be said and heard? What knowledge, and which linguistic and technical skills, are needed to understand the conceptual, social and technical foundations of large language models? How can we encourage critical thinking and collaborative meaning-making beyond pattern reproduction? What is needed to foster critical debate and an independent, democratic academic culture in the age of AI?

The colloquium presents three talks by experts who work on the future of language, writing, education, knowledge creation and technical infrastructures in the context of AI technologies. Furthermore, we host three sessions in which work-in-progress on these topics can be presented. These slots are particularly meant for MA and PhD students to present their ongoing work.

Programme

Courses start on the 28th of October 2026 and end on the 20th of January 2027. 

By the end of this course, participants will:

• Develop a basic understanding of language from the perspective of sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology, and apply this knowledge to critically examine LLMs.
• Understand LLMs in their linguistic, technical, political and socio-historical context.
• Understand the interface design and textual output of LLMs as an effect of human action and in its sociopolitical grounding.
• Understand that AI language technologies impact on language development, writing practice, public discourse and knowledge generation.

Formateurs et formatrices

• Britta Schneider (University of Vienna)
• Sam Goodchild (University of Vienna)
• Janus Mortensen (University of Copenhagen)
• Soren Bro Pold (Aarhus University)
• Daniel Knuchel (University of Zürich)

Informations pratiques

** Double registration needed ** Please read the description of the course where you will find all the links.

All the details and registration links can be found on AMETHIS