Online Archive of University of Virginia Scholarship
Can AI Help Us Learn? A Look at How Chess Computers Affect Chess Players5 views
Author
Briegel, Jason, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia
Advisors
Ripley, Karina, EN-Engineering and Society, University of Virginia
Abstract
This thesis consists of two projects surveying instances between AI and people. The first is my technical capstone, which proposes a method to ensure helpful usage of AI instead of harmful. More specifically, it introduces intent detection to make a virtual assistant more effective with recommendations in customer service calls. The second is my STS project, which surveys existing technology to answer the research question: how have chess computers shaped the ways players of all levels play, learn, and experience the game? Though these are two distinct projects, they share a common theme of interactions between AI and humans. However, it is important to note that they feature two very different forms of AI. While the technical project concerns NLP models, the STS Project concerns min-max algorithms that are generally very different from the colloquial definition of AI. Regardless, these two in conjunction help show both the benefits of using AI tools responsibly and effectively as well as the complex and often negative ways they can impact us when ubiquitous and unchecked.
Briegel, Jason. Can AI Help Us Learn? A Look at How Chess Computers Affect Chess Players. University of Virginia, School of Engineering and Applied Science, BS (Bachelor of Science), 2026-05-05, https://doi.org/10.18130/mf8k-zt68.