News from the FLX AI Hub: A new year's resolution

FLCC has two new ways to add AI engagement to your routine.

The realm of artificial intelligence is full of terms nobody used until few years ago: machine learning, generative AI, prompt engineering.

That’s why Dianne Chamberlain looks for resources that help her break it all down. She uses AI tools in her lesson planning as an adjunct humanities instructor at five colleges, including FLCC, and in her work at Heritage Christian Services, helping people with disabilities find jobs.

Dianne has attended presentations by Dave Ghidiu, associate professor of computer science. Dave is among the faculty and staff behind the FLX AI Hub at FLCC, a new community resource that makes artificial intelligence more accessible.

“Tech is difficult for some people, me included, and Dave's very casual in the way that he teaches. He gives such good information, but because it seems like a conversation, you remember a lot more,” Dianne said.

Dave and his colleagues will expand those accessible AI conversations with two new initiatives this month: a podcast and a lunchtime webinar series.

The Podcast

Today “The Immersive Lens” podcast debuts, featuring Dave and Paul Engin, professor of new media.

The podcast will cover advancements in artificial intelligence and other innovations, including augmented reality and virtual reality.

“We're going to try to break some things down as far as how we use technology. It may help listeners apply it in what they do,” Paul said.

“We'll be deconstructing the bleeding edge of technology, and we'll be looking a lot at AI as well,” Dave added. “If you enjoy staying current on the break-neck pace of technology, I think you'll enjoy this this podcast.”

Dave and Paul will tackle the debate about the societal impacts of artificial intelligence in the episode titled “Is AI a Dirty Word?” They’ll get practical, too, with an episode on the AI tools that are the easiest to use.

“The Immersive Lens” is available in audio and video versions. Here are some ways you can tune in:

FLCC YouTube channel
Spotify
Finger Lakes TV
The podcast also runs daily at 7 a.m. on Finger Lakes TV (Roku, Spectrum cable 1304, 24/7 web stream)

The Webinar

Dave will also kick off a monthly webinar series at noon on Tuesday, Jan. 13, with a presentation on AI bias.

Developers train artificial intelligence tools with massive amounts of data, and their responses can reflect human mistakes and stereotypes present in the data. Dave will share ways to recognize and reduce bias in the text and images generated by AI.

The registration link for the AI bias webinar is available on the FLCC website events calendar. Webinars will be held on Zoom and last 30 to 40 minutes, followed by a question- and- answer session.

Additional webinar topics and dates are as follows:

• Feb. 10: Virtual Roundtable: Building Perspective with AI Personas
• March 10: NotebookLM: Summarize, Analyze, and Create in Seconds

Webinars will be recorded and shared on the college’s YouTube channel and the Finger Lakes TV network at fingerlakestv.org.

The webinar series is a program of the FLX AI Hub at FLCC, launched in June 2025 to make AI accessible for education, workforce training, and local businesses. Other programs include AI for Educators, a series of short courses available by subscription, and in-person community on March 19 and June 10.