Biola University, the most comprehensively Christian university in North America, has launched its first interdisciplinary AI lab.

Out of 562 Christian colleges and universities in North America, Biola University is making faith central to its identity, curriculum, community and policies.

The dean of Biola’s Crowell School of Business, Dr. Michael Arena said: “We have launched what we think is the first interdisciplinary AI Lab in a Christian university.”  

Arena said that though AI might be “scary dangerous,” especially when it comes to technology replacing human relationships or our relationship with God and that when it comes to post-secondary education, “a lot of faculty, a lot of staff are like, ‘Oh no, this is going to destroy education.’”

It would be easy to see the dangers of AI and conclude “we’ve got to run from this and hold it off, extend its implications as long as ever.” On the other hand, educators could respond with a “proactive stance…and engage in it and better understand it and learn.” It could have a destructive impact on education, Arena said, “but it actually might also make education better.”

Arena shared a story of one Biola University professor who said at first he was scared of AI and how it would disrupt his work. But he decided to engage with AI and to have conversations with students about it. The result, said Arena, has been that the professor “has since completely redesigned all of his curriculum.”

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