Teaching AI Responsibility Begins with People, InfoSci Professor Says in AZ Big Media

When conversations about artificial intelligence focus on rapid technological change, College of Information Science Associate Professor of Practice and Associate Dean for Graduate Academic Affairs Diana Daly believes the most important questions are often the most human ones.

That perspective is featured prominently in the recent AZ Big Media article, “How Arizona educators are teaching AI responsibility,” which explores how Arizona colleges and universities are preparing students to use artificial intelligence thoughtfully, ethically and responsibly.

For Daly, responsible AI education isn't about teaching students to blindly trust—or fear—the technology. It’s about teaching them to question it.

“When Daly teaches students to identify bias in AI systems, she doesn’t start with code," the article notes. "She starts with behavior.” Daly encourages students to interact directly with AI tools, testing how they respond and examining the assumptions embedded within them. Simple exercises, such as comparing translation prompts or exploring how AI assigns professions or roles, can reveal the kinds of biases that emerge from the data these systems are trained on.

That approach reflects the broader philosophy of the College of Information Science, where ethics is woven throughout the curriculum rather than confined to a single course.

Roots matter, Daly notes, pointing to the college’s origins in library and information science, a discipline “focused on humanity, on tool use and the arts.” Those human-centered foundations continue to shape how InfoSci approaches emerging technologies today.

The article also highlights the University of Arizona’s broader commitment to responsible AI through initiatives such as the Office of Responsible Artificial Intelligence and the university’s developing AI roadmap, which emphasize ethical, transparent and sustainable approaches to AI in research, teaching and operations.

That commitment is increasingly reflected across InfoSci’s undergraduate and graduate academic programs. Rather than viewing artificial intelligence as a standalone technical skill, the college prepares students to understand how AI intersects with society, organizations, decision-making and human behavior. Students learn not only how AI systems work, but also how to evaluate their outputs, recognize their limitations and consider their broader impacts.

As Daly explains in the AZ Big Media story, the goal is to cultivate critical thinkers rather than passive users of technology. Students are encouraged to interrogate AI systems, ask difficult questions about fairness and accountability and understand that today’s tools are shaped by human decisions and values.

That philosophy reflects the college’s broader mission to prepare graduates for an increasingly AI-driven world. Whether studying information science, data science, cybersecurity, machine learning or related disciplines, students learn to pair technical expertise with ethical reasoning and human experience.

For Daly, that ultimately is the goal: not simply teaching students how to use artificial intelligence, but helping them develop the curiosity, judgment and critical thinking needed to use it responsibly.
 

Read the AZ Big Media article, or explore the variety of AI and related, interdisciplinary programs offered by the College of Information Science.