Students at Franklin & Marshall are bringing a liberal arts perspective to discussions about artificial intelligence—and are doing so through an innovative media project.

“Unmasking the Machine: A Sociological Look at AI” is a podcast produced as part of the course "Sociology of AI.” Hosted by Associate Professor of Sociology Carey Faulkner, Senior Instructional Designer Kelly Miller, and a rotating cast of students, the podcast applies sociological concepts from the course to current headlines about artificial intelligence. 

The project reflects F&M’s commitment to a human-centered approach to AI, which considers the complexities of this new technology and how it can be used ethically, responsibly, and sustainably. Discussions on the podcast go beyond the technological aspects of AI to consider the impact it will have on human relationships and society as a whole. 

“We’re all social animals. We base our society on building and stabilizing relationships, and now AI is playing such a big part in how people are interacting in real life,” said Emily John ’28, a public health major. 

Students said recording a podcast helped them achieve a more thorough understanding of the topic than more traditional assignments like research papers and presentations, because they had to be prepared to discuss anything that came up in conversation. 

“For presentations, I can just memorize the lines I have to say for each slide,” John said. “But for a podcast, it depends on what the other person is saying, and that’s not something I can predict.”

“It forces you to read the article, to be an expert on that article, so that you have something to talk about,” said Chiedozie Aniekwe ’26. 

The conversational format of the podcast also made for a more collaborative learning experience. Sharing their ideas with each other helped students gain perspectives on the topic they might not have reached on their own. 

“It felt really easy to bounce off each other’s ideas,” said Jaylene Merino ’28. “It made it very interactive, to see what other people were thinking, and it led to a more sophisticated conversation.”

Knowing the podcast would be shared with a wider audience meant students had the opportunity not only to demonstrate their understanding of the topic, but also to build real-world skills they’ll take with them into future endeavors. 

“It made me lock in more, because it made it something you can add to a resume,” said Aniekwe. 

Although their discussions addressed potential negative impacts of AI, students left with a nuanced view of both the benefits and drawbacks of the technology. 

“We have to be open-minded but also discerning,” said Merino. “I think we often forget that AI was created to be a tool. A lot of people tend to overlook that, and see it as competition, but I think we can definitely use it to our advantage and not be fearful of it.”

Listen to “Unmasking the Machine: A Sociological Look at AI”

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