Leading international academics and researchers convened on Friday to address the profound impact of Generative AI and the spread of digital misinformation on the future of learning and global society, forming a central theme on the first day of a major humanities conference.
The gathering marked the opening of “The Second Coming of Humanities: 2nd International Conference on Literature, Linguistics, and Language,” hosted at the University of Central Punjab. The event brings together specialists from Pakistan and abroad to analyse the evolving position of humanities disciplines in a world increasingly shaped by technology.
Keynote addresses delivered by distinguished scholars explored a wide spectrum of contemporary issues. Topics included posthumanism, memory, the decolonisation of knowledge, the role of artificial intelligence in linguistics, migration, and the preservation of minor languages.
Dedicated panel discussions stimulated critical dialogue, with one session concentrating specifically on “Generative AI and the Future of Learning” and another examining “The Politics of Translation,” both followed by interactive question-and-answer sessions with attendees.
The academic programme was further enriched by the presentation of interdisciplinary research papers. These scholarly works investigated emerging fields such as digital humanities, AI-driven educational models, trauma linguistics, translanguaging, and the complex interplay between gender, multilingualism, and digital geopolitics.
The inaugural day established a robust intellectual groundwork for the event, underscoring the vital role of humanities scholarship in confronting contemporary global challenges.