BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Leonardo Flores, chair of Appalachian State University's Department of English, led a national effort resulting in the publication of AI and the Humanities: A Framework for Language and Literary Scholarship, released by the Modern Language Association (MLA) in June. The framework offers guidance for scholars navigating the use of generative AI in research, writing, and publishing — a practice that is transforming the disciplines of language and literary studies.
Flores co-chaired the AI and Research Working Group (AIRWG) during the 2026-27 academic year. The group was convened by the MLA Task Force on AI in Teaching and Research and includes 22 digital humanities scholars from institutions across the United States and abroad. Its charge, as stated by the MLA, was to "evaluate generative AI's impact on research and scholarly publishing practices to identify principles that can guide policies for humanities researchers' use of AI."
The resulting publication outlines three core areas — AI literacy, human-centered expertise, and responsibility and ethics — and provides questions and case studies to help scholars assess when and how AI should be used in their work. The framework emphasizes disciplinary values such as interpretation, evidentiary accountability, and equitable scholarly labor, noting that AI "compels scholars to explicitly articulate—and critically reevaluate—the often-implicit norms around authorship, credit, and intellectual responsibility."
In a blog post announcing the publication, Flores wrote that the framework reflects "many conversations, collective thinking, collaborative writing, and then substantive revising and editing to produce a lean, useful framework." He also noted his "critical, but pragmatic" stance toward AI and expressed hope that the document will help scholars "learn to use AI responsibly."
Flores and four members of the AIRWG presented and discussed the framework in a June 30 webinar and will offer a workshop at the 2027 MLA Convention in January.
Flores's leadership in this project reflects his broader work at the intersection of electronic literature, digital writing, and AI. In addition to chairing App State's Department of English, he serves as president of the Latin American Electronic Literature Network and a member of the MLA Task Force on AI in Teaching and Research.
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About the Department of English
The Department of English at Appalachian State University is committed to outstanding work in the classroom, the support and mentorship of students, and a dynamic engagement with culture, history, language, theory, and literature. The department offers master’s degrees in English and rhetoric and composition, as well as undergraduate degrees in literary studies, film studies, creative writing, professional writing, and English education. Learn more about the Department of English
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Dr. Leonardo Flores is chair of Appalachian State University's Department of English. Photo by App State University Communications