As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes more embedded in our world, from healthcare to education to creative and civic life, we wanted to ask Art in the Libraries AI Exhibit artists and other AI campus experts one question.
What do you see as West Virginia’s greatest opportunity—or greatest risk—in shaping an AI future that reflects our local values, needs, and communities?
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“West Virginians are known for being resilient, hard-working, and for looking out for each other. If we bring those same qualities to our approach to AI, we'll help shape policies that leverage the good and lessen the bad when it comes to AI adoption." — Amy Cyphert, JD, WVU College of Law
- “West Virginia’s biggest AI opportunity is empowering our students, faculty, and local partners to stand on the shoulders of giants and build tools for our own needs. The biggest barrier is to address AI literacy towards efficient and responsible AI use.” — Gangqing (Michael) Hu, PhD, WVU Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Cell Biology
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"As with all disruptive technologies, AI brings a mix of opportunities and risks to West Virginia. For students and lifelong learners, AI expands access to knowledge, helping them grow and tackle the state’s challenges. In the wellness field, it promises new treatments for complex medical issues. At the same time, West Virginia’s low population density, proximity to the East Coast capital, and low electricity costs make it an appealing site for the massive data-processing centers that AI requires. These facilities can generate light and sound pollution and raise local energy costs. It is essential that we balance the benefits to citizens with the impact to the communities." — Jeffrey Moser, WVU School of Art and Design
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“AI has the potential to provide personalized access to information. As AI becomes more ingrained in daily life, West Virginia runs risks related to representation and reinforcement of existing social inequalities. West Virginia’s relatively small state population means AI training data may not reflect the local values, needs, and communities. AI may also amplify the digital divide in access to and usage of reliable internet-based technologies due to the state’s geography and socioeconomic profile.” — Megan A. Vendemia, PhD, WVU Department of Communication Studies