NIU at the Forefront of a Growing Field in AI Research
By Lia Kizilbash Gillet
This story is adapted from reporting originally published by NIU Today.

NIU communication professor Andrea Guzman, Ph.D., is a pioneer in Human-Machine Communication.
(Photo: NIU Foundation)

As AI tools like ChatGPT become woven into everyday life, scholars are increasingly asking: How do humans communicate with technologies that communicate back?

That question surfaces an entirely new area of academic research, and Northern Illinois University professors are among its leaders and pioneers. Their work is helping position NIU at the forefront of one of the most important conversations shaping the future of technology and society.

This summer, the International Communication Association (ICA), the world’s learning organization for communication scholarship, named Human-Machine Communication (HMC) a full research division at its annual conference in Cape Town, South Africa. This designation formally recognizes HMC as an established field of study with NIU communication professor Andrea L. Guzman, Ph.D., serving as its inaugural chair. 

“People sometimes assume we’re AI cheerleaders because we study it,” Guzman said. “That’s not what we do. Our job is to understand the technology and its impact on people.”

The ICA’s recognition underscores that communication scholars have a crucial role to play in the AI era. It also demonstrates how NIU faculty are helping define emerging fields that influence industries, public policy and everyday life.

Years before AI became a household topic, Guzman was examining how emerging technologies influence trust, relationships, decision-making and human interaction. She connected with David Gunkel, Ph.D., distinguished research professor, distinguished teaching professor and chair of NIU’s Department of Communication, whose scholarship advocated for considering machines as communicators. Along with University of Illinois Chicago professor Steve Jones, Guzman and Gunkel organized a workshop focused on HMC at the 2015 ICA conference that garnered significant attention. In 2019, HMC became an official ICA interest group.

“This really is an NIU story,” said Gunkel. “It has put NIU on the map in places never expected.”

At NIU, interest among students has surged since the launch of ChatGPT. Gunkel said both undergraduate and graduate students increasingly seek courses, research opportunities and thesis topics related to Human-Machine Communication.

This fall, Guzman will teach JOUR 621: Seminar in Special Topics in Journalism: AI & Media. The course will explore how AI is transforming the media we create, consume, and trust by examining AI’s growing role in journalism, public relations, publishing, and entertainment. The course is one example of how NIU is translating cutting-edge research into classroom experiences that prepare students for a rapidly evolving workforce.

“Years ago, it was easy to think AI belonged solely in computer science or engineering,” Gunkel said. “Every discipline is now an AI discipline in some way.”

As Huskies help shape global conversations about artificial intelligence and its impact on society, your support advances the research and student opportunities that keep NIU at the forefront.