Application of artificial intelligence (ChatGPT and/or other platforms) in the field of humanities was the topic of a two-day conference, organized by the Faculty of Classical and Modern Philology, Sofia University. The conference, held in a blended format at Belchin Gardens Resort, 29-30 November 2024, joined the participation of over 20 academics and researchers, working in Bulgaria, Australia and Japan.
The initiative was opened by Prof. Madeleine Danova, vice-rector of Sofia University, who made a review and an in-depth analysis of the AI application at the Faculty, focusing on the advantages and challenges faced during the current year. On the one hand, she stressed on the positive impact of AI in regard to the increased overall efficiency of academic work, and on the other hand, she touched the issue of plagiarism and ethics-related violations made by students when using AI.
Dr. Mario Bozhilov, from the Queensland University, Australia made a key-note speech on the AI application in higher education, tacking into consideration the advantages and disadvantages of the most frequently used AI platforms.
Japanese experience of AI application in the field of history was the topic touched upon by Associate Professor Evgeni Kandilarov from Tokyo University, who talked about the research opportunities of AI usage in analyzing the value of historical monuments.
Other presentations related to AI usage in Language Models Construction, Challenges of AI application in the field of Bulgarian Studies, and Perspectives in AI usage in the humanities were intensively discussed by the forum participants.
Prof. Danail Danov presented Teachers 4.0 Digital project, which caught the attention of all the Departments Heads attending the conference. The majority of them declared their readiness to offer as an elective discipline the project curriculum in the academic schedule of their students, teachers-to-be during the summer term of 2025. Various opportunities of integrating Teachers 4.0 Digital modules in the qualification programs aimed at teachers at all educational levels were also discussed.
The conference participants supported the idea of publishing a collection of the materials presented as a good opportunity to promote AI application among broader audiences.