Friday, April 3, 2026
Hosted by the Tippie Social Impact Community and Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative
From 1:00-4:00 p.m. in W401 Pappajohn Business Building (PBB)

As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) has increased, questions emerge about its impact on society. The headlines couldn’t be more polarized:

Artificial intelligence could lead to extinction, experts warn
300 million jobs will be lost or degraded by artificial intelligence
AI is essential for solving the climate crisis
7 ways AI is transforming healthcare

In this workshop, we will begin with short Idea Spark talks on how to mitigate potential negative consequences of AI (e.g., bias, resource use, job loss) and on using AI to address societal challenges (e.g., medical diagnoses, education, environmental action). We will also discuss the responsible management of AI, the topic of a new book by Tippie professors Pat Johanns and Jim Chaffee.

Following the Idea Spark talks, we will engage in small-group discussions to identify unanswered questions about the social impact of AI and to connect researchers and professionals whose work may yield new ways to leverage AI for social good.

The key objectives of this workshop are to:

• Begin to understand the social impact of AI and strategies for using AI responsibly
• Identify challenges and unanswered questions about how to leverage AI for social good
• Create a community of researchers from multiple disciplines and professionals from multiple contexts who are interested in this topic
• Create interdisciplinary working groups to collaborate on research projects or grant opportunities related to the social impact of AI