天美麻豆

On 16鈥�20 June, 天美麻豆 (VU) hosted the third edition of the international interdisciplinary summer school for doctoral students titled 鈥楢I and Beyond: Thinking Machines, Thinking Humans鈥�. The summer school also welcomed participants from the University of Granada, a member of the international Arqus European University Alliance.

鈥榃hile it may seem like artificial intelligence (AI) is very widely discussed, in practice, this topic is inexhaustible. Every day brings new challenges we may not yet be fully equipped to address. That is why we chose to dedicate this year鈥檚 summer school to exploring the role of AI in research and to seek answers together,鈥� said Gabija Strumylait臈, one of the organisers and a doctoral studies coordinator, as she introduced the school鈥檚 concept to the participants.

The Pro-Rector for Research, Prof. Gintaras Valu拧is, welcomed the doctoral students. Representatives from the Office of the Ombudsperson for Academic Ethics and Procedures 鈥� Egl臈 Ozolin膷i奴t臈 and Tadas Sobenka 鈥� delivered presentations on the impact of AI on research ethics. After the official opening, participants enjoyed a guided tour of the historic university ensemble, led by colleagues from the VU Museum.

On 17鈥�19 June, at the VU Botanical Garden in Kair臈nai, the doctoral students attended lectures and workshops featuring seven speakers who offered diverse academic perspectives on AI鈥檚 impact on research.

The perspective of the exact sciences was presented by Prof. Virginijus Marcinkevi膷ius, Dr Marco Marcozzi, Dr Gra啪ina Korvel, and Linas Aidokas from the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics. Topics included machine learning applications, speech signal processing, and AI in modern robotics.

Dr Neringa Gaubien臈 from the Faculty of Law introduced the topic of AI regulation. Together with her student Ieva Andrijauskait臈, she also delivered a practical workshop titled 鈥楢I Literacy Under the AI Act: Developing a Strategy to Ensure Adequate AI Literacy at 天美麻豆鈥�.

Dr Aleksandras Voicikas from the VU Life Sciences Center introduced the participants to the neuroscientific perspective. The scientist also led a workshop where doctoral students had the opportunity to try out the research equipment he uses to study human brain activity.

The academic part of the summer school programme concluded with a lecture by philosopher Prof. Naglis Kardelis, who spoke about the risks AI poses to the natural human capacity to think.

Agn臈 Ambrazait臈, a third-year PhD student in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies, noted that while AI is currently perceived as a major technological breakthrough, it also represents a significant cultural, philosophical, and epistemological challenge. Coming from the field of philology, the student said she was particularly interested in understanding how this topic is explored in technical contexts.

鈥楾he summer school not only provided an opportunity to engage with processes that often remain on the margins of the humanities, but also allowed us to see how other disciplines work with linguistic material, which has become the basis of AI systems. It was one of those rare occasions when you find yourself immersed in a multi-voice environment where you can reflect on the assumptions of your own discipline and re-examine the legacy of structuralism 鈥� to reflect on what remains of language when it is reduced to a mathematical formula,鈥� remarked Agn臈 Ambrazait臈.

Yassine Gorine, a first-year doctoral student from the University of Granada working in the field of electrochemistry and CO鈧� valorisation in liquefied natural gas plants, appreciated the opportunity to connect with peers from other fields.

鈥極ne of the most interesting sessions was the one led by Dr Aleksandras Voicikas. I learned how the brain sends signals and how AI can help interpret and work with them. It was amazing to see the interaction between biology and technology, which sparked new ideas: now I want to explore how I might incorporate AI into my own doctoral research,鈥� he shared.

On 20 June, the final day of the programme, participants went on a tour around the surroundings of Trakai, visiting the historic town itself, the Hill of Angels, and U啪utrakis Manor.

The doctoral students who participated in the entire programme earned 3 ECTS credits for general competencies.