Make AI With Purpose

Make AI With Purpose is an initiative under the Art Science Lab at UT Dallas, created in collaboration with Make Art with Purpose and its founder, Janeil Engelstad, and led by astrophysicist Dr. Roger Malina, computer scientist Dr. Paul Fishwick, Prof. Robert Stern, Dr. Tina Qin and Director of Research Taylor Hinchliffe. The project addresses the worldwide anxiety that the AI explosion is not guaranteed to make the world a better place. By involving people of all ages, cultures and professions, it aims to trigger the emergence of new forms of AI that create connections across communities and disciplines, helping make the earth more habitable for all living creatures. The initiative introduces a new form of internship at UTD to equip students with multidisciplinary thinking tools — emergence studies, complex systems thinking and deep looking — needed to develop custom, purposeful AI applications with well-defined, desirable goals. Funded by Impact UTD, the pilot program will train interns in AI-API integration through hands-on projects such as Fred the Heretic 2.0 (AI poet system simulating debates between dual LLMs), Meteor Tales (an AI-generated interdisciplinary campus newspaper), Deeper Look (a split-UI AI tool encouraging observation from diverse perspectives) and Triggering Culturally Sensitive Emotions in AI (training high school students across continents to identify and overcome AI biases through art). These projects cultivate holistic systems thinking, practical AI skills and real-world impact while breaking disciplinary barriers and honoring UTD’s creative legacy.

Our initial fundraising goal is $5,000, essential to support paid student internship stipends ($12/hour for 400 hours), faculty teaching assistance and social and educational events such as meals, Watering Hole discussions and podcast sessions. Reaching this goal will create a structured, meaningful and sustainable framework that fosters innovation and collaboration across disciplines. If additional funds are raised, they will be used to expand the number of student interns, organize larger-scale events such as panel discussions and networking sessions and enhance systems-thinking-oriented coursework. The impact of this initiative extends beyond the University: students gain hands-on AI experience, mentorship and interdisciplinary problem-solving abilities, while UTD and the community benefit from stronger collaboration models and new methods for cross-departmental engagement.

The Make AI With Purpose team includes Lead Author Mrigank Sharad Khare; the crowdfunding and funding team of Tina Chen, Taylor Hinchliffe and Mrigank; and advisors Prof. Roger Malina, Prof. Paul Fishwick and Janeil Engelstad. The mission is to bridge academic silos by training student interns in purposeful AI development that integrates deep looking, emergence and systems thinking to create innovative, community-driven applications. What makes this initiative unique is its novel, human-centered approach to AI training — combining creativity, ethics and technology through activities like Watering Hole discussions, Creative Disturbance podcasts and hands-on experimentation. Future collaborations with international organizations will ensure long-term sustainability and global relevance. As one of the first structured AI programs at UTD rooted in systems thinking and cultural empathy, Make AI With Purpose sets a new precedent for purposeful, experimental AI development by young professionals, fostering transcultural initiatives and creating new pathways for innovation. Updates and impact stories will be shared through our crowdfunding page, social media and the ArtSciLab website.

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