On 21 January 2025, Sorina Teleanu, Diplo’s Director of Knowledge, will deliver a lecture for students at the College of Europe in Bruges on generative AI.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly impacting our lives, including how we learn, research, and produce knowledge. But for which purposes do we turn to these tools, and how much can we rely on them? This lecture explores the opportunities and limits of using generative AI (genAI) and highlights why critical thinking must remain central in our interactions with it. 

The lecture will start with an explanation of how genAI actually works since understanding the foundations of this technology is key for being able to assess its capabilities and shortcomings. It will then discuss why students may use these tools and what they can realistically expect from them. IThe discussion will guided by the College’s rules on restricted, bounded, and open use of genAI. 

The lecture will also offer practical guidance on responsibly and effectively using genAI: how to prompt, how (and why) to build customised tools, and what to pay attention to from a technical and ethical perspective. And it will reflect on the importance of maintaining and leveraging human agency, judgement, and other inherently human attributes in a learning and work environment increasingly impacted by genAI.