About the Event

Physicist, professor, poet, parent, partner - Sam Illingworth approaches AI from many vantage points. Perhaps the most important is that of practical, pragmatic optimist. 

Join us for this GFG Event as we talk with Illingworth and attempt to answer the essential question, How can critical literacy help higher education navigate an AI world?

About the Participants

• Sam Illingworth, PhD (guest)

Sam is a Full Professor of Critical AI Literacy at Edinburgh Napier University. He started in atmospheric physics, measuring greenhouse gases from satellites. After his PhD he spent two years in Japan as a Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation scholar, studying science and theatre. Then he moved into science communication. Now he work at the intersection of AI, education, and critical thinking.

He founded Slow AI, a newsletter and curriculum that helps people develop the judgement to know when AI is useful and when it is not. Not productivity tips. Critical faculties.

He is also a poet. His work has been performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and at Green Man festival. He have written and presented for the BBC.

• Zac Chase (Host) 

  Zac Chase, M.A., M.Ed., is the Global Lead of Scaled Programming for Google for Education. He served as a digital equity advisor for the U.S. Department of Education, where he led the development of the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan. He has also worked as a classroom teacher, adjunct instructor, and a school & district administrator.

  Chase’s publications include the 2024 and 2016 National Educational Technology Plans, “Future Ready Learning: Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education," and “School 2.0: Building the Schools We Need.” He holds a master’s degree in education policy and management from Harvard Graduate School of Education, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Nova Southeastern University, and a bachelor of arts degree in English and secondary education from Illinois State University.