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| Semester | spring semester 2024 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Thomas Messerli (thomas.messerli@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Generative AI and Interaction between it and human users promise to be rich domains for linguistic research across various subdisciplines. Whereas the creation of large language models is informed by computational linguistics, but also by considerations shared with more traditional corpus linguistic approaches, the input and output of such models is also dependent on insights from cognitive linguistics, language acquisition, variationist and interactional sociolinguistics, pragmatics, and many others. As the title already suggests, however, our interest in this seminar is primarily on Human-AI interaction, which we will approach from the perspectives of (European) Pragmatics, Conversation Analysis and Discourse Analysis. Currently, there are only few linguistic studies specifically addressing interaction with ChatGPT, Bard, Bing Chat, Jasper, etc. However, interaction with such systems – while showing its own specific properties – can also be approached as a type of written and in some cases spoken digital discourse and thus theorized with existing theories and methods of Digital Conversation Analysis (DCA) and Digital Discourse Analysis (DDA). In a typical session, we will discuss a particular aspect human-human digital discourse and observe based on data analysis exercises and small experimental case studies to what extent findings have to be adapted to Human-AI interaction or where different or new approaches seem more promising. We will start the semester with a brief look at what Large language models and Generative AI are and will then structure the term in three large blocks: (1) Human prompts, (2) AI-responses, and (3) Human-AI-conversations. Topics include identity construction, agency, and audience design in the first block; linguistic vagueness, deixis and relational work in the second block; and the turn-taking system, sequential organization of talk and false starts and repair sequences in third block. |
| Learning objectives | By the end of the course, students will have learned about and worked with theories and methods from linguistic pragmatics, discourse analysis and conversation analysis. They will have revisited core theoretical works and studies in Digital Conversation Analysis and Digital Discourse Analysis. Based on these insights, students will interact with Generative AI systems and reflect on their own and others’ utterances, on the responses provided by AI, and on the overall interaction that takes place on different platforms between human users and AI. Based on these theoretical and applied experiences in the field of Human-AI interaction, students will have deepened their knowledge of the specific topic at hand as well as of linguistics and pragmatics more generally. Students will have analysed data empirically, presented their own insights in brief presentations and discussed their observations and interpretations of the topics of the course. |
| Bibliography | All obligatory reading for the course will be made available on ADAM. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | MA level for students of "MA English" or "MSG Language and communication" |
| Course application | Please register for this course on services unibas. In order to ensure a good learning environment, we aim at no more than 20 students per linguistics seminar. We ask you to sign up for classes via the ADAM registration surveys, which will open on 3 January, 2024, 10am (CET) and close on 19 February, 2024, 2pm (CET): https://adam.unibas.ch/goto_adam_crs_1623802.html. **Please only register for a maximum of TWO seminars and only for more than one if you really intend to take both courses.** Should you have not made it into one of the courses and you are only able to register on the list in a position higher than 20, we guarantee that we will take you in the course with the least student numbers. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Thursday | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 29.02.2024 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 07.03.2024 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 14.03.2024 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 21.03.2024 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 28.03.2024 | 10.15-12.00 | Ostern |
| Thursday 04.04.2024 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 11.04.2024 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 18.04.2024 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 25.04.2024 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 02.05.2024 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 09.05.2024 | 10.15-12.00 | Auffahrt |
| Thursday 16.05.2024 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 23.05.2024 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 30.05.2024 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Modules |
Modul: English Linguistics (Master's degree subject: English) Modul: Forschungspraxis und Vertiefung (Master's degree program: Language and Communication) Modul: Research in English Linguistics (Master's degree subject: English) Modul: Sprache und Gesellschaft (Master's degree program: Language and Communication) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | regular and active participation; preparatory reading; oral presentation plus handout; short written task (around 1’500 words) |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |