By Kiki Lynch
Timothy Appignani, Ph. D., a visiting assistant communication professor at Trinity University, teaches a special topics course called, Artificial Intelligence Onscreen and Off.
His course explores the portrayal of artificial intelligence (AI) in various media forms, such as movies, television, literature, and news, and compares these representations with real-world developments and applications of AI technology.
Junior Emilo Cevallos, a student in this class, said it’s “interesting learning about something clearly here in the moment and for the future.” Another student, sophomore communications major Jacob Zaincloe, appreciates the diverse aspects of artificial intelligence discussed in that class.
Zaincloe enjoys the way Appignani challenges and reinforces ideas, which makes “conversations, like, much more interesting and fun, and I think it makes the class a lot more engaging.” Cevallos also likes Appignani for “how open he is about everything and how supportive he is of students.”
In his current work, Appignani focuses on the intersections of AI, identity, and race. He is currently collaborating with Jacob Sanchez, Ph. D., another faculty member in the Department of Communication, to publish articles exploring AI identity and the dynamics between AI and race. This initiative began over a decade ago during Appignani’s doctoral research and is something he regards as extremely significant. The aim is to explore AI’s racial biases and understand the workings of generative AI, particularly chatbots.
But AI research was far from where his academic career started. “My master’s was in Sovietology, which is not where I ended up. And so that was a really big deal, realizing that I didn’t love exactly what I had chosen to do and that I could switch, that I could pivot, that I could be as adaptable,” Appignani said.
This capacity to pivot has shaped Appignani’s career and informed his approach to teaching and engagement with the Trinity University community. His work extends beyond traditional classroom boundaries, addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing students today. At 45, Appignani takes pride in initiatives like the “Masculinity Detoxes,” a recurring forum that allows men to explore and redefine masculinity in a positive and healthy way.
Appignani engages in this initiative as it offers a supportive environment for male students on campus to deeply reflect and converse. “The masculinity detoxes are something that I found years ago and that I’ve decided to pursue here because it gives men on campus a safe space to try and really think about, talk about the ways in which toxicity have influenced them, and to figure out what a healthy masculinity even looks like,” he said.
“He is very talented, very smart, and very everything,” says Martha DeLeon, office manager of the Department of Communication. “He’s just a good person who’s got a good aura about him.”
Appignani’s advice to students is that in a world that never stands still, the ability to pivot – to change direction when the path ahead demands it – is invaluable. “Understanding media, having media literacy, those things are going to be pivotal in your ability to adapt,” he said. “It will also then become a really significant skill set on the market.”
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