The Learning Innovation Incubator at Vanderbilt

Modern AI systems like ChatGPT or Gemini rely on Large Language Models (LLMs) foundation models that process data (words, pixels, audio spectra), treating each observation in isolation of the people behind it - an ecological fallacy of disregarding the individuals and communities that generate data.

In this talk, Andy will discuss ongoing work toward reconceptualizing the foundational probabilistic tasks of AI to integrate the people behind the data. For LLMs, this means updating their foundational task which estimates the probability of the next word from the preceding words to also account for the words' authors. This “human language modeling” (HuLM) framework explicitly conditions on dynamic user states, drawing on theories of traits and states from psychology, to capture the structured dependencies among data. He will discuss implementing these models and show evidence that they can lead to improved performance on both traditional NLP tasks as well as health and psychological applications. Join us Wed to learn more. Pizza and drinks provided.

Neurotech Frontiers Summit is a national gathering on the future of assistive and inclusive technology with sessions on social entrepreneurship pathways, inclusive learning, innovative technologies and more. The Summit showcases advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, software platforms, VR and assistive devices that empower individuals and features a pitch competition showcasing ground breaking ideas.

The conference is kindly providing complimentary entry to the the LIVE community. Email LIVE@vanderbilt.edu for the registration code.

Come hear Metro departments pitch real challenges that need your expertise. Bring fresh solutions, test ideas in real time, connect with civic leaders, and compete for up to $40,000 in funding to turn your ideas into action.

You’ll gain direct access to city leaders, receive feedback on your concepts, and explore opportunities to co-develop pilot projects that make a real impact in Nashville. 

There are two challenges of particular relevance to the LIVE community:

Bridge your research with city needs and help shape the future of civic problem solving in Nashville. Spots are limited, register below to secure your place.

Looking to elevate a tool you created that advances learning in a new innovative way? Submit to the Tools Competition before October 15. The Tools Competition awards prizes ranging from $50,000 - $300,000 for tools supporting K-12 & post secondary learning, as well as high quality education datasets. 

October 8

Fall Break

No Session

October 15

LLM Persona-Agents for Social Science Research

Lisa Fazio (Peabody College)

October 22

LIVE Ignite Grant Advances in EdTech Development

Ignite Grant Recipients

Explore the full lineup of Fall 2025 events at the link below