Conversation has become a primary mode of interaction between humans and artificial intelligence. This raises fundamental questions about conversation itself. What does it mean for a machine to participate in conversation? And how might artificial conversation change our understanding of human conversation, as a form of social interaction, a mode of thinking, and a practice of intellectual and cultural exchange? From philosophical dialogue and religious practices to the academic seminar, conversation has long shaped how knowledge is produced, challenged, negotiated, and shared.

Bringing together scholars from literature, philosophy, rhetoric, anthropology, cognitive science, education, and related fields, The New Conversation approaches AI as a cultural and social technology. We study the histories, forms, meanings, and implications of human and artificial conversation. The group uses humanistic inquiry to understand conversational AI while asking what AI can reveal about human conversation.