Skip to main content
Assessing and Adopting AI Tools with Confidence

Assessing and Adopting AI Tools with Confidence

January 2026

Feeling overwhelmed by the growing number of AI tools? Unsure of which ones to use or avoid, or how to implement them effectively? Artificial intelligence has moved quickly into scholarly and research environments. From tools that draft emails and summarize articles to systems that support discovery, collections, and research workflows, it offers new capabilities and potential efficiencies. However, not every AI tool offers real value. The essential skill now is knowing how to evaluate what is useful, ask the right questions, and move responsibly from experimentation to sustainable practice.

“Assessing and Adopting AI” is an eight-week training series designed to help professionals build clarity around tool selection and implementation. The course offers a practical path from curiosity to confident deployment. Participants will learn how to evaluate AI tools, develop shared language around AI capabilities and limitations, and build essential AI literacy rooted in integrity, ethics, and responsible use.

Using concrete examples from across the scholarly ecosystem, the series explores how AI is reshaping digital collections and infrastructure, search and discovery, and teaching and research. Sessions also address institutional considerations such as copyright, risk, and governance. The course culminates in a hands-on “DIY AI” week, where participants will explore lightweight tools and develop actionable strategies they can take back to their organizations.

This series is designed for professionals who need more than high-level discussion. It supports informed decision-making, practical evaluation, and sustainable adoption. It is meant to help organizations move from isolated experimentation toward shared understanding and responsible practice.

Course Information

Outline

  • Week 1: Approaches for Evaluating AI Tools
  • Week 2: AI for Open Scholarship
  • Week 3: Digital Collections and Infrastructure
  • Week 4: Search and Discovery
  • Week 5: Teaching and Research
  • Week 6: Copyright and Institutions
  • Week 7: Emerging Agents in Research and Scholarship
  • Week 8: DIY AI: Building Tools, Shaping Strategies

Additional Details

  • Dates: March 26 –May 14
  • Class Time: Thursdays, 11:00 am–12:30 pm ET
  • Format: Live virtual sessions
  • Recordings: All sessions will be recorded and made available to registrants within 2 business days
  • To Sign Up: see our registration page

Training Facilitator

The course is led by Jessica Miles, Founder of The Informed Frontier, a consulting firm that advises STM organizations on AI’s impact on knowledge discovery and dissemination. A scientist and experienced publishing and strategy leader, Jessica has worked closely with executives and boards on strategic planning and transformation. She previously led strategy and investments in AI-powered research and discovery tools at Holtzbrinck and held senior leadership roles at Cell Press and Elsevier. She currently serves on the Advisory Board of Johns Hopkins University Press.

Jessica holds a PhD in Microbiology from Yale University and a BA in Biology and Communication of Science and Technology from Vanderbilt University. Her teaching blends technical understanding with institutional insight, making this series both grounded and highly practical.

Kimberly Gladfelter Graham

Education Program Manager & DEIA Advocate

Kimberly Gladfelter Graham's role at NISO has evolved since joining the organization in 2018.  In her role as Office Manager, she handled administration priorities and supported the Executive