+AI Perspectives Week

March 21-29, 2026

HackWashU AI Build Challenge is a one-week student build event designed to complement WashU’s AI+ Week by giving students the opportunity to actively create with AI tools. Participants will form teams, experiment with APIs and emerging technologies, and develop creative projects with optional mentorship and workshops throughout the week. The challenge will conclude with a public demo showcase where students present their work and connect with peers, faculty, and industry guests.

The challenge will begin with an Opening Session on March 21 at 10 a.m.-12 p.m. in Brauer Hall, Room 12, where participants can meet other builders, learn about the challenge format, and form teams.

Monday, March 23, 2026, 5:30-7 p.m.
Seigle Hall, L006

The Skandalaris Center will be hosting Ideabounce®: AI Ideas and More! Open to all schools, there will be pitch prizes and food! If you want to pitch, or just want to attend, please register.

Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 10-11 a.m.
Olin Library, Gingko Reading Room

Expansion of generative AI invites many ethical questions for our campus community. Questions span a wide range of concern for humans, communities, resource use, teaching approaches, research governance, and technological advancement. This town hall will feature a panel of WashU experts from across disciplines, including libraries, art and design, teaching and learning, sustainability, and computer science, to discuss these challenges and their implications for the university. Panelists include Mimi Calter, Tiffany Calvert, Eric Fournier, Phil Valko, and Yevgeniy Vorobeychik.

Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 3:00-4:15 p.m.
Danforth University Center (DUC), room 276

Interested in building a custom chatbot but not sure where to start? Join the Center for Teaching and Learning for this hands-on workshop designed to help instructors design, build, and deploy your own custom AI chatbot! Beyond course assistants, they’ll discuss how to create role-play conversation partners, scenario simulators, and tutoring agents. Participants should bring a laptop with access to the internet. Though the focus will be on creating Google Gemini for Education’s custom chatbots, Gems, the scaffolding presented will be applicable to any chatbot creator interface.

Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Zoom

Did you know that WashU now provides access to NotebookLM? Join the Center for Teaching and Learning for a Zoom workshop designed to help instructors explore potential uses of NotebookLM for the classroom. This hour-long, interactive session will cover how to securely access the tool and demonstrate ways to use NotebookLM to enhance teaching and learning activities. We’ll look at some of NotebookLM’s most popular features, including video and audio overviews, mind maps, and learning guides. Throughout the workshop, participants will be invited to engage and experiment with NotebookLM, discuss their experiences, and brainstorm additional applications with colleagues.

Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Knight Hall 301

This small group discussion will be led by Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, in conversation with Peter Boumgarden, Koch Family Professor of Practice in Family Enterprise and Director of the Koch Family Center for Family Enterprise. They will discuss how generative AI is reshaping the skills graduates need and what this means for future leaders.

Assembly Series presents Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic

Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 5:00-6:15 p.m. (reception to follow)
Emerson Auditorium, Knight Hall

Artificial intelligence is not a distant disruption—it is already reshaping how we learn, work, hire, and lead. For today’s college students and recent graduates, the stakes could not be higher. As AI systems become embedded in every industry, higher education faces a defining question: How do we prepare graduates not just to survive the future of work, but to lead it? However, there are parts of human intelligence that it can’t reproduce, and it would be wise—especially for young adults—to hone skills in those areas as they are only going to become more valuable.

In this fast-paced, wide-ranging, and highly practical talk, Nicholas Thompson explores the profound implications of AI for universities, employers, and students alike. Drawing on his experience at the forefront of media, technology, and conversations with leaders across the tech C-suite, he unpacks how AI and big data are transforming business strategy, redefining talent pipelines, and altering what employers truly value.

Thursday, March 26, 2026, 8:30-10 a.m. (continental breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m., program begins at 9 a.m.)
Clark-Fox Forum, Hillman Hall

Led by Jen Smith, vice provost for Educational Initiatives, this conversation will focus on fostering meaningful undergraduate learning as AI tools become more prevalent and more advanced. The event will include discussion and idea sharing among Danforth Campus faculty colleagues.

Thursday, March 26, 2026, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Clark-Fox Forum, Hillman Hall

This interactive lunch brings WashU students and faculty together as equal partners to compare experiences with AI tools—what’s working, what’s worrying, and what we should try next. In six‑person groups supported by trained facilitators and note takers, participants will share perspectives, compare experiences, discuss practical guidelines, and pilot ideas. The event will help influence university programs and policies to guide us in building a thoughtful, inclusive approach to AI in teaching and learning.  Hosted by the Center for Teaching and Learning and Dialogue Across Difference (DxD).

Students interested in attending can contact Anna Cunningham at a.cunningham@wustl.edu.

Thursday, March 26, 2026, 1:00-2:30 p.m.
Seigle Hall 301

Come enjoy coffee, tea, and snacks with a side of research into AI’s impact on learning. While the internet is full of writing about AI, the pool of peer-reviewed, evidence-based research is much smaller. In this session, the Center for Teaching and Learning provides an overview of and commentary on what we really know about AI. We will explore both possibilities and concerns that emerge from the data and end with a discussion of how this information might shape our future pedagogical strategies.

Friday, March 27, 2026, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
McDonnell Hall, room 361

Interested in submitting an application for the AI Curriculum Corps? Have questions about the process? Have an idea but need to talk it through? Or maybe you simply want company while you submit your application? Whatever your reason, please join the Center for Teaching and Learning for a session to support the AI Curriculum Corps application process—from brainstorming to submission. Staff from the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Digital Intelligence and Innovation (DI2) Accelerator will be on hand for questions and guidance. The application deadline for the AI Curriculum Corps is April 6, 2026.

Friday, March 27, 2026, 1 – 2 p.m.
Google Meet: meet.google.com/ewv-hcjp-abj

WashU students are invited to join Google for a hands-on session on how to elevate your academic workflow using the education versions of Gemini and NotebookLM. You will learn best practices for structuring prompts, generating study materials, and using AI as a critical thinking partner to challenge your own ideas. Step up your study game and discover how to transition from simply searching for answers to building a personalized, responsible AI research ecosystem.

Sunday, March 29, 2026, 10 a.m. presentations followed by lunch, 1 p.m. closing ceremony
Brauer Hall, Room 12

View the participating teams showcase their projects during the HackWashU AI Build Challenge Finals, followed by a celebratory lunch and the official closing ceremony.