Bestselling Author John Warner on AI and Critical Thinking at CR

Published on Sep 28 2026

College of the Redwoods will welcome bestselling author and educator John Warner to its Eureka campus on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, for “Critical Thinking in the Age of AI: A Day with John Warner.”

The visit will include a free public presentation exploring what the growth of generative artificial intelligence may mean for writing, learning, creativity, and human agency.

Warner is a writer, speaker, curriculum developer, and longtime college instructor. He is the author of More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI. He is also a former editor of McSweeney’s Internet Tendency and writes a weekly column for the Chicago Tribune.

In More Than Words, Warner asks readers to look beyond what generative AI can produce and consider what people do when they write, think, create, and learn. While generative AI can produce plausible language, he distinguishes that output from the human process of developing ideas, making meaning, communicating with intention, and discovering what we think through writing.

“As CR develops its approach to artificial intelligence, we need to keep returning to the purposes of education – not only what students produce, but how they learn to think, create, and make meaning,” said Dr. Rebecca Robertson, CR’s Dean of Arts and Humanities and chair of the college’s AI Advisory and Planning Committee. “John Warner’s work gives us a valuable way into that conversation, and his visit invites our students, educators, and broader community to take part.”

Free Public Presentation

Critical Thinking in the Age of AI
Wednesday, October 7, 2:00–3:30 p.m.
CR Theater, Eureka Campus
Free and open to the public

The presentation will explore the growing presence of generated language in education and everyday life and consider what it may mean for human thinking, creativity, communication, and agency.

Grounded in recognizable experiences – encountering automated content, deciding whether to use AI for a task, struggling to express an idea, or questioning whether AI generated communication reflects genuine thought and intention – the presentation will be accessible to people with varying levels of familiarity with AI. No technical knowledge or prior experience with AI is needed.

The presentation will also consider the value of thinking, creating, exploring, and participating in learning as a process, including the effort, uncertainty, revision, and occasional frustration through which discovery and growth often occur.

The presentation will run from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., followed by an audience question-and-answer session from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m.

Northtown Books will offer copies of More Than Words for sale at the event. Books may also be purchased in advance at northtownbooks.com/books or through another local bookstore.

Warner’s visit is part of CR’s broader work to develop a thoughtful, human-centered approach to artificial intelligence. CR’s AI Advisory and Planning Committee is advancing work related to AI literacy, professional learning, responsible-use guidance, privacy, equity, accessibility, and academic expectations.