AI can write our papers, create our computer programs, analyze our data—and increasingly make decisions on its own.

So…what could possibly go wrong?

On this episode of The Professor is Live!, Professor Mark Salisbury talks with Dr. Volker Petersen, an industrial engineer and adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas, whose thinking about AI has changed considerably over the past several months.

We talk about If AI writes the assignment, are students still learning? If AI replaces junior engineers and programmers, where will tomorrow's senior experts come from? And as AI systems become increasingly autonomous, how do we make sure humans remain responsible for the decisions that matter?

Artificial intelligence is changing football.

Coaches can now use AI and advanced analytics to evaluate players, identify patterns, anticipate opponents, and even help decide whether to go for it on fourth down.

But what happens when the computer's recommendation conflicts with the coach's experience and judgment?

On the next The Professor is Live!, Mark Salisbury and producer Rikko Smart are joined by Jay Paterno—football coach, author, speaker, and former Penn State assistant coach—to explore what AI can teach us about coaching...and leadership.

Jay offers a particularly intriguing idea: perhaps AI's greatest value isn't telling leaders what to do. Perhaps it's challenging the assumptions behind what they already believe. In coaching staffs—and organizations—where people can fall into familiar patterns or echo chambers, AI can become an impartial voice asking, “Have you thought about this?”

Artificial intelligence is now being used to answer spiritual questions—but should it?

In this episode of The Professor is Live!, Mark Salisbury and producer Rikko Smart explore a surprising news story about AI-powered religious chatbots with Pastor Dan Doerrer of ELIM Lutheran Church in Robbinsdale, Minnesota.

Together they ask a bigger question:

What should leadership look like when AI enters something as personal as faith?

Featuring our "What Could Go Wrong?" segment, a conversation with ChatGPT, audience discussion, and practical insights about using technology to deepen learning without replacing the human relationships that give it meaning.

Join us for a thoughtful—and occasionally humorous—conversation about faith, technology, and leadership in the age of AI.