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Neural Networks: The Technology & Ethics of AI In-Person

Join us for a hands-on exploration of artificial intelligence with Lisa Meeden, co-creator of the Artificial Intelligence Toolkit and a professor in Swarthmore’s Computer Science Department. She’ll walk us through the basics of AI, machine learning, and neural networks in an accessible, engaging way.

Students, faculty, and staff who are curious about how AI works are all welcome. Feel free to bring a laptop, if you have a Google account, you’ll be able to follow along in Google Colab.

Registration is encouraged, but drop-ins are welcome.

Speaker Bio: Lisa Meeden is a Professor of Computer Science and a member of the interdisciplinary Cognitive Science Program at Swarthmore College. She received a B.A. in Mathematics from Grinnell College and a Ph.D. in Computer Science with a minor in Cognitive Science from Indiana University. She has been teaching AI for over 30 years, and co-developed the Artificial Intelligence Toolkit. This open-source project contains computational essays that are designed to allow a diverse audience with little or no background in AI to interact with a variety of AI tools, exploring in more depth how they function, visualizing their outcomes, and gaining a better understanding of their ethical implications.

Date:: Thursday, January 15, 2026
Time:: 12:30pm - 2:00pm
Time Zone:: Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
Location:: Kanbar Performance Space
Campus:: East Falls Campus
Audience:: Educators Researchers Staff Students
Categories:: Academic Research & Library Tools Educational Technologies Instructional Design Library Programs