Monday, June 29, 2026, 11:30 AM – 1 PM EDT

Matthew Sag – Jonas Robitscher Professor of Law in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science

“Being Human in the Loop: understanding and using generative AI"

In this presentation, Professor Sag will explain the fundamentals of generative AI for a general audience and how to apply that understanding to using modern AI tools effectively and knowing when not to use them. The talk lays out six practical principles for being a "good cyborg," starting with the right mental model, moving through what these systems reliably do well and where they predictably fail, and culminating in concrete strategies for getting more interesting, more honest, and more original results. Along the way, it tackles the ethics of AI-assisted writing, the implicit representations we make when we put words on a page, and why reading widely matters more than ever in an age when polished prose has become a commodity. Whether you are an enthusiastic adopter or a skeptic, this talk will give you a clearer framework for working with AI without surrendering the critical thinking that makes your work worth reading.