Ep. 179: Artificial Intelligence and Human Thinking (w/ Dr. Paul Belanger)

In this episode, host Dr. Alison Jane Martingano sat down with Dr. Paul Belanger, faculty member in Applied Writing and English and Project Manager of UW-Green Bay’s AI Think Tank, to explore the promises, fears, and ethical tensions surrounding generative AI. Martingano and Belanger discuss whether today’s large language models are truly replicating human thought or merely mimicking patterns, why “friction” may be essential to keeping our agency intact, and how students can use AI as a sparring partner rather than a substitute thinker. From creative writing workshops to faculty assessment anxiety, their conversation tackles the real challenges instructors are facing — and why abandoning the technology altogether may not be the answer.