Curious Conversations

Matthew Vollmer joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to explore the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on writing, creativity, and what it means to be human. He shared insights about AI's capabilities and limitations related to writing, as well as his thoughts on the future of human-AI collaboration in creative fields. 0:00 Will AI replace human writers?1:41 Why does AI-generated writing feel threatening?2:40 Can you tell AI writing from human writing?3:59 Can AI replicate a writer’s style?4:13 How did Matthew explore AI and creativity?5:55 How can AI help spark a story?7:05 Does AI need human curiosity to create ideas?8:00 What does AI reveal about education and human thinking?9:03 What are happy accidents in human writing?9:59 Can a typo change the meaning of a book?10:34 Can AI write a compelling long-form story?11:28 Why might AI produce average-quality writing?12:39 Can better prompts fix AI’s mistakes?13:49 How do students across majors view AI?16:24 How can students examine AI’s impact?18:24 Are parents and students using AI differently?19:28 How can students reflect on their humanity?21:05 Can humans and AI collaborate on meaningful art?22:03 Have writers always feared new technology?24:05 Will human writing matter in the age of AI?Related "Curious Conversations"S4 E8: How do we ensure authentic learning in the age of AI? https://youtu.be/zFiuclW1DMs?si=KnlrFDGANDoAUBV1S4 E7: Which critical AI questions are we often overlooking? https://youtu.be/ospriocEQ0Q?si=QAbz5CpkPm0-HZzzVollmer is a professor of English in the Virginia Tech College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and former director of Virginia Tech’s Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing. He is currently teaching “Collaborating With AI: How to Make Artificial Intelligence Your Writing Partner” during the Lifelong Learning Institute of Virginia Tech’s fall term.Curious Conversations is a series of free-flowing conversations with Virginia Tech researchers that take place at the intersection of world-class research and everyday life. Produced and hosted by Virginia Tech Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Travis Williams, university researchers share their expertise and motivations, as well as the practical applications of their work in a format that more closely resembles chats at a cookout than classroom lectures.

Sally Hamouda joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about how artificial intelligence (AI) appears in many K-12 classrooms and how students, educators, and parents can use it without letting it replace learning. She shared age-appropriate AI skills, assignment strategies that preserve critical thinking and unplugged activities that balance screentime and traditional learning. 0:00 How do we help students become authentic learners in the age of AI?0:50 Who is Sally Hamouda, and why talk to her?1:24 What does AI in the K-12 classroom actually look like?3:26 What AI skills do students need at each age?6:36 How can teachers keep AI from becoming a digital cheat sheet?9:22 How do teachers balance AI with traditional teaching?12:09 Does understanding AI make students better users of it?12:57 Can AI help level the playing field for students?14:17 What should parents pay attention to with AI?17:12 What has Sally's own kids' view of AI surprised her with?18:35 What gives Sally hope about AI in education?Hamouda is a collegiate professor and department outreach lead in the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Tech. Her work spans computer science education, educational technology, artificial intelligence literacy, learning analytics, data visualization, and K-12 computing education. She led the creation of CodeKids, which offers a wide range of engaging coding activities for students of all levels, and is spearheading the “AI in a box” program, which aims to send educators resources for unplugged activities that teach about AI.

Rishi Jaitly joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), its origins, current state, and future implications. He shared the questions he believes more people should be asking about AI, as well as insights into the role of human institutions and the skills people will need in the future. Chapters0:00 What is artificial intelligence, really?1:13 What is AI, and what science is behind it?3:39 How do humans and institutions need to evolve?6:11 What skills set people apart in AI conversations?6:53 Why are the humanities a superpower in the AI age?7:57 What do we mean by "the humanities"?9:20 How should institutions evolve and lead by example?11:24 Why should institutions be the change, not just preach it?12:09 Which skills will matter in the age of AI?13:16 What is a "full stack human" with elevated AI judgment?15:10 Why do curiosity and friction matter for learning?17:21 What will AI never do as well as humans?19:13 Where do big ideas come from in incoherent thinking?20:48 What can we learn from loss?21:49 What is the purpose of education and human formation?22:45 How can we use AI with self-awareness?24:50 How is AI used today for learning and productivity?26:05 What are agentic AI systems?27:46 Can we hold awe for both AI and human uniqueness?29:10 Where do we go from here?Jaitly is a professor of practice and Distinguished Humanities Fellow at Virginia Tech. He founded the Institute for Leadership in Technology at Virginia Tech, which offers the nation’s first executive leadership credential in the Humanities and is also co-chair of Virginia Tech’s AI Futures Working Group. Until recently, Jaitly also served as a senior advisor to OpenAI.

Ali Mehrizi-Sani joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the complexities of the power grid, its vulnerabilities, and how renewable energy and microgrids fit into the future of energy reliability. 00:00 — What’s the biggest threat to our power grid?01:22 — What does the power grid include?02:42 — How is North America’s power grid connected?05:04 — What causes blackouts, and how is the grid kept reliable?06:51 — Why is the power grid under more pressure today?09:33 — How do data centers affect the power grid?14:44 — What actually causes power outages?16:21 — What role do solar and wind play in the grid?18:38 — What are microgrids, and when are they useful?21:18 — How can the power grid be protected from cyberattacks?23:26 — What can everyday people do to support the grid?Mehrizi-Sani is a professor and Bradley Senior Fellow in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He is also the director of the Power and Energy Center at Virginia Tech. His latest research focuses on the intersection of power engineering and advanced wireless communications to help shape a resilient, reliable grid of the future.

Luis E. Escobar joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the New World screwworm, a fly whose larvae can infest living animals and humans, causing severe wounds. He shared the pest’s biology, its past eradication in the United States, and current research into its spread and potential changes.

Escobar is an associate professor in the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Tech. He is a member of the Pandemic Prediction and Prevention Destination Area, the Invasive Species Collaborative, and the Fralin Life Sciences Institute’s Center for Zoonotic and Arthropod- borne Pathogens and Global Change Center.  His research focuses on biogeography, ecology, and evolution of infectious diseases across landscapes.

Wujin Sun joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about a device he’s working on that will automatically detect opioid overdoses and administer life-saving medication. He explained how the device works, the motivations behind it, and the need for an intervention that doesn’t require a bystander’s assistance.

00:00 — A Patch That Could Reverse Overdoses

01:10 — Introducing the iNAL Patch

02:17 — How the Patch Detects Fentanyl and Releases Naloxone

03:17 — Why Overdose Prevention Needs to Work Without a Bystander

04:34 — Protecting Patients Who Need Opioid Pain Relief

05:44 — The Origin of the Research

07:26 — Engineering the Sensor and Drug-Release System

08:33 — How the Patch Controls Naloxone Delivery

10:17 — Testing, Regulation, and the Road to Human Use

11:22 — What a Human-Scale Patch Could Look Like

12:28 — The Vision for Broad Public Access

13:03 — Turning a Lab Innovation Into a Life-Saving Tool

Sun is an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech. His research interests include cell and biomaterial engineering, drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, and precision medicine.

Jadrian Wooten joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the realities of economics and professional sports. Wooten shared his insights about the economic philosophies of many team owners, ticket prices, and new arenas, as well as the impact teams have on their communities. 0:00 — Professional Sports and Local Economies1:14 — Why Sports Make Economic Sense3:23 — Why Team Values Keep Rising7:41 — The Economics of New Stadiums13:41 — Do Sports Teams Help Local Communities?18:00 — Why Ticket Prices Keep Climbing21:18 — Economics Happy Hour and the Newsletter23:43 — The Stadium Quest: Favorites and TraditionsWooten is a collegiate associate professor with the Virginia Tech Department of Economics. His research focuses primarily on educational methodologies and the economics of sports and labor. Wooten’s weekly blog, Monday Morning Economist, tackles economic issues in pop culture and current events

Austin Phoenix joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about unmanned aerial systems, commonly called drones, the challenges they present to the defense sector, and the work university researchers are doing to help better understand and mitigate any potential threats.“Curious Conversations” is available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.1:32 — Drones in Defense5:22 — Autonomy and Emerging Risks7:12 — The Cost of Drone Defense9:15 — Counter-Drone Strategies12:59 — Inside the Counter-UAS Center17:48 — Testing Real-World Conditions19:19 — Students, Partners, and ImpactPhoenix is an associate research professor and the director of the Mission Systems Division at the Virginia Tech National Security Institute. He is also one of the leaders of the university’s new Counter-UAS Testing and Research Center, which is a partnership between Virginia Tech’s Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership, the Virginia Tech National Security Institute, and the U.S. Army. His research interests include multifunctional structures, adaptive structures, advanced thermal management, structural dynamics, spacecraft design, and first-order analysis of complex systems. Curious Conversations is a series of free-flowing conversations with Virginia Tech researchers that take place at the intersection of world-class research and everyday life. Produced and hosted by Virginia Tech Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Travis Williams, university researchers share their expertise and motivations, as well as the practical applications of their work in a format that more closely resembles chats at a cookout than classroom lectures.

Paul Springer joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about how the transition from summer to fall can impact family dynamics and provide advice on navigating potential challenges.

About Springer

Paul Springer is a professor and the head of the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at Virginia Tech. He is also a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in working with individuals, couples, and families who have experienced loss and trauma. 

Ben Katz joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the impact of lifestyle choices on brain health and cognition. He shared insights about how cardiovascular exercise, spending time in nature, and maintaining a healthy diet can enhance cognitive function. He also talked about the importance of sleep and benefits of social interactions, as well as what changes he has made to best support his own cognition.Ben Katz is an associate professor of adult development and aging within the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Virginia Tech. His research focuses on interventions to improve executive function capacities, including non-invasive brain stimulation, cognitive training, and lifestyle change.