Presentation for University of Arkansas at Fayetteville

Who Is AI? Exploring Identity, Humanity, and the Line We Dare Not Cross

Recently, I had the honor of serving as a guest lecturer for the University of Arkansas, where I presented Who is AI: The Role of AI in Shaping Human Identity in Fahrenheit 451, “The Pedestrian,” and “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury. Though I joined via Zoom, I spoke to a group of faculty and graduate students about something that’s been on my mind a lot lately: where do we draw the line with artificial intelligence and who/what is behind the codes?

Bradbury, writing in the mid-20th century, imagined futures that eerily reflect our current reality—where technology becomes a surrogate for intimacy, critical thinking, and even purpose. In The Veldt, the nursery replaces parenting. In The Pedestrian, walking and thinking are seen as subversive acts in a world obsessed with screens. And in Fahrenheit 451, we see a society so disinterested in books—and by extension, reflection—that people stop asking questions altogether.

My talk centered on a key question: Who is AI? At what point does our reliance on artificial systems begin to strip away the very things that make us human—curiosity, connection, empathy, and even grief?

And during the presentations I also pondered: How much AI is too much?

Program Cover

There’s a certain irony in writing this blog post with the help of an AI (shout out to ChatGPT for checking my grammar since paying for Grammarly is getting expensive). But maybe that’s the point. The problem isn’t necessarily AI itself—it’s how we use it, why we use it, and whether we allow it to replace parts of ourselves that should remain 'unautomated.'

As I reflect on my own life—on the repeated emotional cycles we inherit and sometimes feel bound to—I find myself wondering how often we use technology to numb or delay the work of healing. Sometimes we turn to screens instead of each other. Sometimes we outsource reflection because it feels too painful to sit with ourselves. And sometimes, we use tools (even brilliant ones) to avoid facing what really needs attention.

There’s no easy answer, but I think that’s okay. The question Who is AI? is really another way of asking Who are we, when the machines are turned off?

Below is the Link to my Prezi presentation that I gave at University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

Link to Prezi

What thoughts, processes and connections do we bother to create when nothing can be done for you? What would you accomplish on your own? I would strongly encourage people to sit with themselves especially in moments of boredom and see what comes to mind. As of now AI cannot act unless acted upon and free will cannot be automated, so why not enjoy it?

☺️I also won the award "Best Graduate Paper" for this year's Approaching Dystopia conference.☺️

I was not made aware of this until I had finished writing this post. Maybe my tone would have been different from the start, however I am glad that I didn't know because I'm happy with what I have written.

If you would like a copy of my paper I'd be happy to send it to you if you message me on here or my socials!