Building Confidence in AI: A New Collaboration at Kellogg
What does the future of learning and research look like in the age of artificial intelligence?
Kellogg College has joined forces with Oxford’s AI Competency Centre to find out. Together, we are launching a series of events designed to boost understanding of developments in artificial intelligence and build confidence in using emerging technologies.
This new partnership is already creating meaningful opportunities for students, fellows, and the wider community to engage with the rapid evolution of AI. The first outcome of the collaboration is a programme of AI Learning Lectures convened by Xavier Laurent and Anders Reagan from the AI Competency Centre. Hosted at Kellogg College, the events are open to all, and offer an excellent opportunity for people with any level of experience to explore how AI tools can enhance critical thinking, support research, and encourage responsible use.
The event programme began with an introductory session for new students that demonstrated how generative AI can be used as a learning partner rather than a shortcut – supporting authentic academic practice and reflection.
Further lectures this term include:
- Revealing Unknown Unknowns: How to Use ChatGPT as a Strategic Mirror – led by Anders Reagan, AI Consultant at the AI Competency Centre, this session explores how to use ChatGPT to surface blind spots, forgotten commitments, unspoken tensions, and high-impact opportunities that often go unnoticed.
- Leveraging LANGUAGE: LLMs as Tools for Learning – presented by Kelly Webb-Davies, AI Consultant, who will demonstrate how AI can help individuals develop ideas authentically in their natural voice – whether informal, multilingual, or spoken – and translate them effectively into formal academic and professional writing.
- How LLMs Understand Text: Context and Meaning in the AI Age – delivered by Dominik Lukeš, AI Consultant, this session will unpack how Large Language Models “read” and “understand” text, and how they generate meaning in their responses.
This collaboration also reflects the strong connection between our two institutions. Xavier Laurent and Anders Reagan are both Research Members of Common Room at Kellogg College, helping to deepen the exchange of ideas and practice between the College and the AI Competency Centre. Xavier is also supporting the organisation of Kellogg’s Bletchley Park Week, which will take place in February 2026, celebrating innovation, ethics, and the future of computing.
Looking ahead, the partnership will continue to grow, with plans to extend the learning programme and explore new themes at the intersection of AI, learning, and society. Through this collaboration, Kellogg and the AI Competency Centre aim to foster a deeper, more confident engagement with AI – ensuring that members of the College and the wider University community are well equipped to think critically, creatively, and responsibly in the age of artificial intelligence.
