Even though the title of William & Mary’s spring Tack Faculty Lecture is “Surfing the AI Wave: A Human-Centered Approach to Innovation and Ethics,” the speaker says AI is probably more than a wave. It might be closer to a tsunami.

“It’s a seismic shift reshaping every aspect of our society,” said Doug Schmidt B.A. ’84, M.A. ’86, the inaugural dean of William & Mary’s new School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics.

Schmidt will expound on the topic at 7 p.m. April 9 when he delivers the spring Tack Lecture in the Sadler Center’s Commonwealth Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public, but people interested in attending are asked to RSVP.

“Just as the printing press, the steam engine and the internet revolutionized the way we think, work and live, AI is challenging us to rethink the boundaries of human creativity, ethical responsibility and education itself,” Schmidt said. “The question is no longer whether AI will influence our lives, but how we will shape its role in a way that preserves human ingenuity rather than diminishing it.”

In his new role, Schmidt will lead that charge on campus, bolstered by his own William & Mary education and with what he calls the “timeless principles” he absorbed while getting his degree in sociology here.

“William & Mary has long been a place where critical thinking and intellectual rigor thrive. It’s where I learned not just to absorb knowledge, but to question, refine and apply it meaningfully,” Schmidt said. “Decades later, I find myself returning to principles instilled by my professors — principles that are more relevant today than ever as we grapple with the promises and perils of AI.”

In his talk, Schmidt plans to go into depth on those core values and explain how they will shape a “human-centered approach” to AI.

An internationally recognized scholar with more than three decades of experience in academic and government leadership roles, Schmidt leads the first new school created at W&M in more than 50 years. The School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics launches this fall, with a mission to prepare students for success in a data-driven world. Schmidt sees his mission as nothing less than leading W&M into developing a human-centered approach to AI that integrates responsible innovation, ethical considerations and critical engagement.

He’ll also focus on how the university can address the growing digital divide between those who leverage AI effectively and those at risk of being left behind. “We have to ensure that we’re not passive spectators but active participants in this transformation,” he said.

Launched in 2012, the Tack Faculty Lecture Series celebrates faculty excellence and the intellectual liveliness of the university. Through this series, a William & Mary professor addresses the community on a topic of general interest at least once a semester, showcasing the university’s most engaging professors. All lectures are free and open to the public. A generous commitment by Martha ’78 and Carl Tack ’78 created an endowment for the series and speakers, who are William & Mary faculty members and receive stipends for their presentations.

Everyone on campus is invited. “This isn’t just another lecture — it’s an invitation to be part of a conversation that will shape the future of education, work and society,” Schmidt said. “If you care about the intersection of technology and ethics, or if you simply want to ensure that you’re surfing the AI wave rather than being swept away by it, you won’t want to miss this discussion.”