Humanics: When AI Technology Meets Humanity in Education
(Illustration: Kate Dehler)
FDU is integrating human-centered artificial intelligence (AI) into its health care education.
This approach, called humanics, combines data and technological literacy with human connection.
“Through humanics, we are working to ensure our students graduate with both the technical mastery to use the tools of modern medicine and the human capacity to see, hear and care for the person in front of them,” said University President Michael Avaltroni. “The future of health care will be shaped by our ability to focus on innovation and will be grounded in human connection.”
This initiative is funded through a seed gift from digital health advocate Dr. Stephen Klasko, who received an honorary doctorate from FDU in 2024.
“In a world where machines can process information faster than humans, our competitive advantage lies in our ability to connect, create and care. This fund invests in that fundamentally human future,” said Klasko.
The initial gift will help fund FDU initiatives including a Humanics Hub composed of a Healthcare Humanity Lab; a Culture-Tech Collision Studio; a Creative Disruption Incubator; and a Storytelling Data Lab. Other donors have pledged support, and FDU has raised significant additional funding for this effort.
The Humanics Hub is designed “to make our campuses active engines of experimentation — linking academic programs, well-being initiatives, employer partnerships and real-world problem solving into one integrated system,” said Avaltroni. “The ultimate goal is to empower students to tap into their understanding of human nature and the human condition; to learn to be empathetic in how they approach their chosen health care profession and engage with people; and to appreciate how to think outside the box.”
Avaltroni noted that the five pillars of humanics are empathy, agility, cultural competence, creativity and critical thinking. While humanics will be particularly integrated into healthcare education, the president added that an emphasis on these qualities will be leveraged in many areas of strength across disciplines to advance the vision of FDU HealthPath Forward — the University’s major strategic initiative to expand health and health-related programs, to create a coalition of partnerships to foster innovation to improve healthcare delivery and address workforce demands, and to build models of health and well-being.
“Dr. Klasko and I share the urgency to build health care teams that optimize all the advances in AI with humans at the core — our students, clinicians and patients,” said Avaltroni. “We need tech and health to talk to each other. We also need universities to teach and mentor future leaders to make sure that AI and humanics complement each other. We need to ensure that human performance will be enhanced — not replaced — by technology.”