SFSU holds faculty symposium on ‘Research in the Age of AI’

Feb. 20 event creates space to share and critically examine emerging tools and practices

San Francisco State University hosted the “Research in the Age of AI: SFSU Faculty Symposium,” a dynamic half-day gathering on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, that convened faculty from across disciplines to explore how AI is transforming the research landscape.

Designed as both a showcase and a conversation, the symposium featured a keynote address by Gaurav Suri, an engaging panel on AI ethics and digital responsibility and 15 lightning talks highlighting innovative AI-driven research and methodologies underway at SFSU. The event created space not only to share emerging tools and practices, but also to critically examine the opportunities and responsibilities that accompany AI’s growing influence in scholarly work. Concluding with a faculty mixer to encourage continued dialogue, the symposium fostered interdisciplinary connection and positioned the University community to thoughtfully navigate research in the age of AI.

Please visit the campus AI website for the program and presentation slides from the “Research in the Age of AI” symposium.

Videos of the keynote address and panel discussion are embedded below.

Keynote: ‘The Emergence of Intelligence in Machines’

“There’s a lot of noise about AI. It’s not the answer to all of our problems and it’s not this horrible thing that should never be used. It’s both. It’s a tool. And we need to understand what the tool is and what its limitations are.” — Gaurav Suri, associate professor of Psychology

Ethics panel

Panelists: Carlos Montemayor (Philosophy), Sepideh Modrek (Economics, Health Equity Institute and Institutional Review Board), Zainab Agha (Computer Science), Chris Koenig (Communication Studies, Institutional Review Board)