South Tangerang, FAH News Online - On Wednesday, 7 May 2025, the English Literature Studies Program of the Faculty of Adab and Humanities successfully held a national webinar entitled "Dialogue between Humanities and Technology: The Future of English Literature Studies in the Artificial Intelligence Era". This event was a collaboration between UIN Sulthan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi and UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta and was attended by hundreds of participants from lecturers and students. This event was held online through Zoom Meeting.

The webinar opened with a warm welcome from the moderator who appreciated the presence of all participants, including special guests such as, Bahren Nurdin, SS., MA, Dr. M. Agus Suriadi. M.Hum, Mrs Ida Rosida, M.Hum, as well as lecturers and alumni from various universities. This event began with a reflection on the importance of synergy between the humanities and technology, especially in the context of English Literature Studies that continue to adapt to the development of Al.

The first session was presented by Bahren Nurdin, SS, MA, a lecturer in English Literature at UIN Jambi, who opened the presentation with a reflective question: "Why choose to study English literature?". He emphasised that many students initially feel "lost" but eventually find their passion in this major. With the quote "Sometimes, being lost is the best way to find your path", he highlighted how uncertainty can be a path to success, as experienced by alumni who are now working in multinational companies and government agencies.

In the context of AI, Bahren emphasised that this technology provides great opportunities for the study of English literature. For example, AI can speed up the analysis of literary texts, such as counting the frequency of certain words in novels, as well as aiding research efficiency with tools such as Turnitin and ChatGPT. However, he also warned of the challenge about the risk of AI dependency that could reduce students' critical thinking skills. Therefore, he encouraged the need for an ethical survey of AI use on campus, as found in Australia, where 70% of students are reported to have used AI. As a solution, he encouraged the integration of humanities and AI approaches through a combination of qualitative and quantitative analyses, as well as the improvement of digital literacy so that the use of AI remains responsible and does not violate academic ethics.

The second speaker, Dr M. Agus Suriadi, M.Hum., a linguistics and translation expert from UIN Jakarta, discussed the impact of AI on the field of linguistics and translation. He raised common phenomena such as the use of Google Translate and DeepL, and asked: "Will AI replace the role of humans in translation?". According to him, the hood translation still requires an understanding of complex cultural contexts and language nuances–the thing that AI is not yet fully capable of. Dr. Agus also emphasised the need to adapt literature and linguistics curricula to include AI literacy, including a code of conduct for using the technology in academic tasks. He gave an example of the practice in overseas universities where AI has been used to help write research proposals, but within clear and responsible boundaries.

The third speaker, Ida Rosida, M.Hum., a PhD student who researching gender and literary studies, focused her presentation on gender representation in AI-themed Western films, such as Ex Machina and Westworld. She criticised how female characters are often portrayed as sexual objects or submissive figures in technological narratives. According to her, these films tend to reproduce traditional gender stereotypes, such as female robots designed to serve the needs of men. Ida emphasised the importance of a critical approach to media consumption to identify hidden gender biases, and encouraged the use of literature and film as tools to deconstruct unjust norms.

In the Q&A session, participants asked a variety of critical questions. One of the questions was: "What is the code of ethics for the use of AI in universities, especially in students' final studies?". For answered that question, the speaker explained that the use of AI in the academic context has followed regulations from the government and faculty, including certain restrictions on its use for thesis or final research.

The webinar closed with the conclusion that AI and humanities are not two poles that negate each other, but rather complementary partners. It was agreed that clear regulations are needed at the campus level regarding the use of AI, including ethical guidelines and limitations in research. In addition, the English Literature curriculum also needs to be updated to suit the challenges and opportunities of the digital age. The webinar ended with the hope that this kind of academic collaboration will continue, whether in the form of webinars, joint research, or inter-campus visits.

Written by: Muhammad Suyuthi Alkautsar

Translated by: Alfi Khusnul Fauziah