Indiana University Southeast held its first ever open-dialogue event on April 2 about the
factors that need to be considered when implementing artificial intelligence regulations.
In collaboration with the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and the College Debates
and Discourse (CD&D) Alliance, Indiana University Southeast opened the floor for student
voices. The session, led by the CD&D Alliance’s associate director Sadie
Webb, allowed advocates to discuss what factors representatives need to consider when
implementing regulations on artificial intelligence (AI). Many advocates of various age ranges
attended the event, and different concerns were raised.

At the very beginning of the event, pamphlets were passed out to every attendee about the
topic. It had brief information on the topic to give attendees more insight throughout the
discussion. Students were invited to talk amongst themselves about what they thought was the
heart of the issue when it came to regulating AI. Then, individuals were invited to speak for
themselves about topics brought up during their discussion. Webb gave clear directions to
students to guide them through the process of the open discussion and allowed students adequate
time to discuss amongst themselves about their own concerns. Students expressed concern over
copyright infringement, death of entry-level jobs, the impact on city infrastructure and
communities, and more. Most talking points disapproved of artificial intelligence and would
prefer strong regulations at the federal government level.

After the event concluded, attendees were invited to ask questions and further discussion.
Sicilia Giacalone, a political science major, expressed how she will be pushing for AI regulation
in her career. Giacalone hopes to work with an organization located in Washington D.C.
dedicated to campaigning for Democratic women to become representatives. When asked if she
would try to persuade candidates towards campaigning for AI regulation, she expressed: “I
would say yes…It is going to be a bigger issue that politicians are going to be looking at just
because it is affecting all of us in every single area of our lives.” When asked if regulation
seemed possible after the event, Giacalone replied, “I was feeling a little discouraged[…]but I do
feel a strong sense of unity being here with everybody, […]and that is what gets grassroots
campaigns started, so I am hopeful that it can be done.”

After the event, Jean Abshire, one of the campus leads, shared her thoughts about how
important this event is for students. “This event and events of its types are absolutely essential.
The ability to talk about important topics across different viewpoints[…]is an essential life skill,
professional skill, and for our society as a democracy. You can’t just sit in your boxes.” When
asked if there were any future plans to host more open-dialogue events, Abshire replied, “I hope
so.” This was the first open-dialogue event held at IU Southeast and was meant for testing the
waters for future events. Some other topics that were being considered for discussion were
climate change, responsibility in warfare, and immigration to name a few.