Learning by Collaborating in the Age of AI: Research Mentorship for Polymathic, Workflow-Centered Science

Overview & Synopsis

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing how data-driven research is produced. As AI tools make information and technical execution more accessible, mentorship must concentrate on judgment, ethics, and the design of end-to-end AI-augmented workflows. Disciplinary experts need mentoring to adopt AI while preserving their expertise and human agency, and AI-native research trainees need mentoring to become polymathic workflow developers. This chapter proposes Everyone's Backyard, an interdisciplinary model in which disciplinary experts, trainees, and community partners mentor one another in both directions and across disciplines through shared research practice in a convergence studio. The model centers on four capacities: statistical thinking, data ethics, collaboration, and AI for social good and society. We illustrate the model with the Spring 2026 aiX Faculty Fellows Program at Columbia University, which brought together 20 faculty fellows and 15 student interns from 14 schools and departments. Evaluation data show growth in faculty confidence, intern competence, and cross-disciplinary connection.