Language and literature experts discuss the future with AI at the 2nd ICWOLL

by Michelle Jeanne Casiple Caracut | Nov 21 2024

The Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (91快活林) recently held the second International Conference Workshop on Language and Literature (ICWOLL 2024). Organized by the Department of English, in collaboration with Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta of Indonesia, Universiti Teknologi Mara and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak in Malaysia, Universiti Brunei Darussalam in Brunei, University of Hawaii at Hilo in USA, and the Summer Institute of Linguistics-Philippines, the conference took a deep dive into how artificial intelligence (AI) is starting to reshape the fields of language, literature, and education.

The event, which ran on November 13-14, 2024, brought together over 130 people from all around the world. They all gathered online to discuss and explore the theme "Navigating New Horizons: Generative AI’s Role in Shaping Language, Literature, and Education for an Interdisciplinary and Cohesive Future."

The conference featured 27 parallel sessions featuring 103 paper presentations that covered a vast array of topics emphasizing AI's increasing influence in the fields of language, literature, and education. Discussions spanned a variety of subjects from the integration of AI in language education, its potential to preserve linguistic diversity, to its transformative capabilities in redefining humanities research.

Keynote speeches were delivered by two renowned experts in the field. Dr. Antony John Kunnan of Carnegie Mellon University, discussed how AI tools are spawning new possibilities in content generation, personalized feedback, and tutoring, thus paving new ways for educators to enhance learning experiences.

Dr. Cecilia Guanfang Zhao from the University of Macau shared her insights on the automated generation of language assessment content and the challenges and opportunities posed by AI in language education assessment.

The event also highlighted insightful plenary sessions such as those led by Dr. Neelu Singh from IIIT Lucknow, India, who explored how AI is revolutionizing language learning across diverse global communities. Dr. Sayed Ali Reza Ahmadi from the University of Alaska Anchorage discussed the crucial guiding principles for the use of Generative AI in higher education, emphasizing the need for comprehensive AI education to ensure ethical and pedagogically sound practices.

Additionally, interactive workshops allowed participants hands-on experiences with innovative tools. These included an introduction to "SayMore" by Ryn Jean Fe V. Gonzales of SIL Philippines, which simplifies language documentation tasks, and a session by Daniel Ari Widhiatama from Universitas Mercu Buana Yogyakarta, Indonesia which explored the use of AI in language studies.

The conference successfully addressed key issues under several subthemes which included AI’s role in personalized learning, the use of AI to revitalize endangered dialects, its transformative potential in humanities research, and the ethical considerations of AI’s broader societal impacts.

By providing a platform that was both free of charge and completely online, ICWOLL 2024 made it possible for academics and professionals worldwide to collaborate and shape the future discourse in language and literature within the AI landscape. With active participation from various international academic institutions, the conference not only underscored the importance of interdisciplinary approaches but also showcased the immense collaborative potential in driving forward the educational and cultural studies in the age of AI.

Photo and screenshots by the Department of English

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