Pell Center

The Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy at Salve Regina is a multidisciplinary research center focused at the intersection of politics, policies and ideas.

Humanities and Technology Association Calls for Papers Ahead of 42nd-Annual Conference at Salve Regina’s Pell Center

The Humanities and Technology Association (HTA) has announced a call for papers for the 42nd-annual Humanities and Technology Association Conference to be held at the Pell Center at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island from Oct. 26-28th, 2023. The main theme for this year’s conference is Artificial Intelligence: Perils, Promises, & Possibilities.

In late May of this year, the Center for AI Safety (CAIS) issued the following statement: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.” This warning should give us pause, especially since the signatories constitute a group of innovators, scholars, scientists, and engineers who possess both a deep understanding of what is at stake and the ability to otherwise profit from what AI might offer. When one considers the impact that something like ChatGPT has had on academia and society at large in just a few short months, the possibilities offered by other aspects of AI – be it by way of information, consultation, education, or weaponization to name just a few – call for a level of reflection and subsequent action that may be as urgent as they are necessary. This year’s HTA conference looks to focus such efforts, bringing to bear the ethical, political, social, cultural, and artistic challenges presented by AI, without losing sight of the opportunities it presents as well.

Beyond the main conference theme, and to allow for as broad of a range of scholars as possible, papers and panel suggestions are also accepted that examine other vital issue areas at the juncture of technology and society, such as politics and social life, representations of technology in art and literature, technology and identity (in terms of gender, race, and culture), or technology and education.  The Humanities and Technology Association is an interdisciplinary scholarly society that explores the impact of technology on human life from a broad range of perspectives. We welcome papers that investigate the cultural interaction of the humanities, science, engineering, and technology.

Submission Information:

Please email an abstract (of approximately 500 words) by September 1, 2023 to HTA President Craig Condella at [email protected]. You will be asked to include basic biographical information such as your affiliated institution, your position at this institution, and your contact information. Graduate student submissions are welcome and encouraged. Panel proposals of two or three presenters are also welcome.  When submitting your abstract, panelists are asked to indicate the theme of their panel and their fellow panelist(s).  Two person sessions will run 60 minutes and three person sessions will run 90 minutes.  Presenters should therefore aim for 20 minute presentations that allow time for discussion afterwards.