Andrew Selepak, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) Media Production, Management, and Technology instructional assistant professor, visited the University of Dubrovnik in Croatia from May 20-24 as part of an Erasmus+ mobility agreement that facilitates student and faculty exchange between the University of Dubrovnik and UFCJC. Benjamin Johnson also recently participated in the same faculty exchange program.

Selepak gave two student and faculty lectures, appeared in a television show and podcast and presented a workshop, “Personal Branding & Social Media,” which included tools and strategies that scientists and experts can use in the modern digital environment.

Workshop participants received practical guidelines for improving their online presence and maximizing the reach and impact of their scientific and professional research. He shared tips on how to create a personal brand and build an online identity with an emphasis on social networks.

In addition, Selepak was quoted in “Human-Acting AI Chatbots on Social Media Stir Ethical Concerns” posted on thenationaldesk.com on May 21.

The story focuses on a warning from a technology researcher that artificial intelligence (AI) robots are invading online communities meant for human connections.

According to Selepak, there’s nothing inherently wrong with chatbots on social media. They could be useful in answering simple, factual user questions for any number of brands at any time of day. However, AI impersonating a human with compassionate responses in a Facebook group setting is a different story.

“That in many ways almost seems evil, because we as humans want an empathetic response,” he said. “We want to connect to others, and it’s part of what we are as a species. And you don’t get that from AI, especially AI that’s faking its humanness.”

Posted: May 30, 2024
Category: AI at CJC News, Alumni News, College News
Tagged as: Andrew Selepak, Artificial Intelligence, Erasmus + mobility agreement, Faculty Exchange, MPMT, Social Media, University of Dubrovnik