Gonzaga Hosting Conference on “Value and Responsibility in AI Technologies”

March 18, 2025

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Gonzaga University News Service

Experts ranging from data scientists, engineers and cybersecurity professionals to philosophers, lawyers and educators will meet on the Gonzaga University campus April 3-4, 2025, to discuss the myriad ways artificial intelligence technologies are reshaping society.

Gonzaga’s Institute for Informatics and Applied Technology and GU’s Department of Philosophy are partnering to host the Value and Responsibility in AI Technologies Conference. The panelists and speakers will address the ethical questions that come along with the incredible opportunities of AI. Among the issues up for discussion are questions concerning privacy, security, fairness, safety and accountability, because while AI holds immense potential for good, there are inherent risks in its misuse or careless implementation.

"The Institute for Informatics and Applied Technology is driving the integration of AI across Gonzaga’s curriculum, student learning and partner innovation,” says Jay Yang, the institute’s inaugural director.

“We have created a conference where visionary academics and industry leaders will come together to explore the critical intersection of AI, ethics, and responsibility—shaping a future where technology is guided by human values, and human creativity is elevated by technology advances."

The conference is free and open to the public, although space is limited and registration is required. It will offer ample opportunities for critical thought and discussion through sessions dedicated to topics including “Technology and Ethical Responsibility,” “Data Labelling in Shaping AI Technologies” and “AI Laws and Policies Around the Globe.”

"It is clear that we must take a responsible approach to the design, development, and deployment of AI technologies,” says Anthony Fisher, a lecturer in Gonzaga’s Department of Philosophy. “This conference gets to the intellectual heart of the matter and aims to find the ethical substance that ought to be at the core of responsible AI. The many layers of diversity that this conference exhibits make it a distinctive event to replicate and emulate. It will raise further questions and generate practical solutions that have the potential for wide-ranging impact on shaping debates in AI ethics and on developing AI technologies in industry."

In addition to Gonzaga faculty members spanning its schools and colleges, representatives of tech firms Google and Adobe, as well as experts from peer higher education institutions such as Hong Kong Baptist University, the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Santa Clara University, the University of Washington, Seattle University, the University of Notre Dame and Portland State University will share their expertise.

The Value and Responsibility in AI Technologies Conference takes place Thursday-Friday, April 3-4 on the Gonzaga University campus. Thursday sessions run from 1 p.m.-4:45 p.m. in Room 103 of the John & Joan Bollier Family Center for Integrated Science & Engineering. Friday sessions run 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and will take place in Wolff Auditorium in the Jepson Center.