News and Events

The CBS story included interviews with Executive Director of the Krebs Center for the Humanities and Professor of English Davis Schneiderman and humanities majors Sarah Faller ’26 and Ethan Karabanow ’26.

During the three-minute segment, the Foresters shared their views on AI and the College’s newest project— HUMAN: Humanities Understanding of the Machine-Assisted Nexus—that will equip students with skills to ethically integrate AI into their professional lives. Schneiderman also demonstrates a prototype chatbot called Cosimo, trained on sculptures in the collection of the Krebs Center, and built by Instructor of Politics and HUMAN technical advisor Justin Kee.

The College was recently awarded a $1.2 million grant for HUMAN, a multi-year initiative that explores artificial intelligence through a humanities perspective. 

“We want to think about the ethical aspects of artificial intelligence. We want to think about issues of bias, of surveillance,” Schneiderman says in the CBS interview.

Karabanow, a French major who plans to become a teacher, noted that the world already uses artificial intelligence on a daily basis. “I think it’s very important for our generation and the generations to follow to become more informed about what AI is all about,” he said.

The Chicago Tribune’s Lake County News Sun also interviewed Schneiderman for its story on the HUMAN project. In “Lake Forest College to Use Grant to Study AI,” Schneiderman calls AI “a transformative force in modern society” and adds that “it is affecting everything from job markets to social interactions. We need a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach to consider the technical, ethical, social and economic dimensions.” The story ran on February 6.

In addition, Schneiderman recently joined Lake Forest College President Jill M. Baren for LET'S TALK AI In Education in partnership with Lake Forest Community High School District 115. Schneiderman will continue as a panelist for two upcoming programs in the Let’s Talk AI series.

The HUMAN project is set to run through 2027.

About the Krebs Center: The Krebs Center for the Humanities is set in an Italianate villa in Lake Forest where the traditional and the cutting-edge converge and where literature, philosophy, history, and the arts are not just subjects of study but also dynamic forces that prepare students to meet an ever-evolving future. The Krebs Center underscores the College’s commitment to paving the way for a future where creativity, critical thinking, and empathy take center stage.

Related links:

• Watch the complete CBS News story
• Krebs Center receives $1.2 million Artificial Intelligence grant
• Discover more about the Krebs Center for the Humanities