University of Exeter launches new interdisciplinary research centre investigating the role of AI

The University of Exeter has launched a new interdisciplinary research center focused on AI, its role in society and the risks associated with its use.

The Critical AI Centre (CrAIC) will draw on expertise from Exeter’s arts and humanities, social sciences, and computer science departments, taking a collaborative approach to the study of AI.

“Artificial intelligence is everywhere in today’s headlines, simultaneously hailed as a revolutionary breakthrough, feared as a looming threat, and debated as if it were an unstoppable force,” explains Dr Patrick Gildersleve, Lecturer in Communications and Artificial Intelligence, and Co-Director of CrAIC. 

“But AI is not a singular invention: it is a shifting set of technologies and ideas, bound up with the values and power relations of those who build and govern it.”

CrAIC was formally launched by academics at the University’s Department of Communications, Drama and Film with a two-day workshop on campus, which was attended by more than 100 attendees. Speakers at the event considered how AI is intertwined with issues around identity and labor, particularly in the Global South.

Professor Andrea Medrado, Co-director of Research for the Department of Communications, Drama and Film and Co-Director of CrAIC, adds: “We understand that colleagues, students, and communities are curious or concerned about AI, often in spaces where it is imposed or unavoidable. We hope to represent and work with these voices, bringing our own expertise on technology and society. In the future, we hope to expand our network across the University and link into wider academic, policy, and social movements.”