The event explored the possibilities and potential pitfalls of artificial intelligence.
PORTLAND, Maine — The The University of Southern Maine hosted its first-ever conference on artificial intelligence and digital sciencebringing together educators, industry leaders and curious minds to explore the transformative power and potential dangers of artificial intelligence.
“People have a lot of concerns,” Ashanthi Maxworth, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at USM and an organizer of the conference, said Friday. “Students write papers using AI without learning anything. Should we just hire ChatGPT rather than hiring a human? Things like that.
Maxworth, optimistic about the potential of AI, explained why she allows her students to use technology in her classes.
“It’s a tool you can use when you enter the workforce,” she explained. “We can’t avoid them using it. So use it, master it.”
However, she warned that it was better to trust the human brain more than artificial intelligence.
“There is a difference between intelligence and wisdom,” she added. “AI is competent, but it doesn’t have wisdom, only humans have that.”
Participants shared diverse perspectives, reflecting the broader societal debate on how AI should be integrated into education, industry and daily life.
Tom Lanigra works for a company in Westbrook that builds custom automated assembly machines. Lanigra said his company was exploring the use of AI and attended the conference hoping to learn more.
“(I hope) to know where the technology is going, what potential benefits it has for the industry, especially for us,” Lanigra said. “Can this help us tap into this knowledge base that we’ve had for 30 years?
Maxworth emphasized that part of the challenge of AI is addressing its limitations. She cautioned that AI “is still learning,” just like its students. She urged participants to think critically about the extent to which they should rely on technology, particularly as its applications expand into sensitive areas like education and the workforce.