Introduction

1. Introduce students to the definition of generative AI as a technology that can produce content, such as text, image, video, audio, etc. based on the training data.
2. Provide an example of the predictive technology in texts, when the system suggests the next word. Explain, based on this example, how LLMs generate content based on predicting the next word, using large amounts of training data.

Pre-activity

Have you tried using any generative AI applications? How was your experience?

Lecture

Watch this lecture on Generative AI by IBM.

Explore some of the limitations of the LLMs, such as:

1. Biases and misinformation that can be harmful to the users;
2. Outdated information due to the limited nature of the training data;
3. Hallucinations: these models do not acknowledge that they might not know information, but rather make up fake biographies, statistics, and references, which poses a risk to the users.

Activity 1. Explore the difference between human and AI-generated art.

You will see the painting created by Vincent Van Gogh and another painting created in a similar style by an AI system. Explore how both of these images made you feel, what are some of the similarities and differences between the two?

Discussion questions: 

1. How did the two paintings make you feel? Did you feel connected to one more than the other?
2. How do perceptions of authorship differ when it comes to art created by humans and art generated by AI?
3. What are some of the challenges associated with AI-generated art you can envision in the future?

Activity 2. Generate your own art using AI

Go to one of the following platforms and provide prompts to generate a specific piece of art of your choosing. Provide specific instructions with regard to:

•  what art piece would you like;
•  if you want it to reflect a specific style in art;
• what colour scheme you want the system to use, etc.

Tools:

Craiyon: https://www.craiyon.com/

Nightcafe: https://creator.nightcafe.studio/

Adobe Firefly: https://firefly.adobe.com/inspire/images

Clipdrop:  https://clipdrop.co/

Discussion questions: 

1. Share your creation with others and discuss the process of how it went.
2. Do you feel like an author of this art piece or like a collaborator?
3. What are some of the benefits and challenges of these tools?

Activity 3. Explore the difference between human and AI-generated text.

Complete the activity below and reflect on how easy it is to differentiate between AI and human-generated text. 

The first poem was created by Maya Angelou. This example was used in a study by Köbis and Mossink (2021), who found that people were able to accurately distinguish the poems about 50% of the time—indicating that people are “not reliably able to identify human versus algorithmic creative content.”

Discussion questions

1. Were you able to properly distinguish between human and AI-generated text?
2. What helped you in this process?
3. How will you approach text differently if you know it is written by AI?
4. How important, in your opinion, to be able to disclose if something is generated by AI? Why?