Artificial Intelligence is a continually emerging technology which has gained increased notoriety as powerful versions have become more freely accessible to the general public. These, however, are only the most recent iterations of a kind of technology that has been developing for some time. AI image generation is only one aspect of how technology is impacting how we consume and understand visual culture. The internet in general, and image distribution sites in particular, have been changing our perceptions and interactions with images for decades; ranging from general social media like Facebook and twitter, to sites built to circulate images such as Pinterest and Tumblr. Image and text generators add a new layer to this already complex and rapidly changing visual environment.
On this page some questions will be addressed on the topic of AI as it is relevant to educators in the architecture, art, and design space. We invite you to use these resources to fulfill some of the needs you may already have, as well as to explore the topic of AI in higher education in ways you may not have considered yet. Please keep in mind that this is only an introduction, and that the librarians are always happy to help you find further resources and information on this and related subjects.
While AI Text generators may be used creatively by students to brainstorm or revise the answers for assignments, it also increases the ease with which they might knowingly or unknowingly misuse this powerful tool. Below are some sources about how to make your assignments better suited to a world with AI.
Understanding the media environment is an essential skill for any student and is especially important to those entering visual disciplines, but artificially generated images make it harder than ever to know when to trust what we see. This is why it is increasingly important to instill a sense of skepticism in students. Just as they are taught with written information, they must be asked to scrutinize everything they see, to question the authenticity of information, and the reliability of visual as well as written sources.
Here are some resources that explain visual literacy, its importance, and how you can promote it in the classroom:
Web resources:
ACRL Visual Literacy Competency Standards
Indiana University Guide to Visual Literacy
Media and Information Literate Citizens
Books from our collections:
Algorithmic bias is an ongoing concern in the AI space and beyond. Understanding how artificial intelligence incorporates, perpetuates and even promotes real-world bias is important for students and educators alike. The following are sources to introduce the concept of bias as it applies to AI systems.
Web resources:
Library resources:
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