Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can analyze and generate digital text, photos, videos, diagrams, charts, and other media. Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, and Google NotebookLM have already changed the information we see online in both positive and disruptive ways. They can be used to create convincing but false texts, images, and multimedia.
Check out the excellent Student Guide to Artificial Intelligence, developed by Elon University's Imagining the Digital Future Center, in partnership with the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U): https://studentguidetoai.org/about/
The University System of Georgia's Artificial Intelligence Guidelines are also available here: https://www.usg.edu/information_technology_services/assets/information_technology_services/documents/USG_ITHB_AI_Guide_(Final).pdf
ChatGPT https://chatgpt.com/
Claude AI https://claude.ai/
Microsoft Copilot https://copilot.microsoft.com/
Stable Diffusion (image generator) https://stablediffusionweb.com/
Google NotebookLM https://notebooklm.google.com/
Perplexity (search engine) https://www.perplexity.ai/
Suno (music generator) https://suno.com/
Let’s dig a little deeper. What kinds of things have you seen that AI tools are not good at doing? What are some things you would caution a friend about? How well do AI tools do with citing or recommending sources (articles, books, etc.)? Have you seen any factual errors? Have you seen any biases, or reinforcements of stereotypes?
Read: “‘Not for Machines to Harvest’: Data Revolts Break Out Against A.I.” https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/15/technology/artificial-intelligence-models-chat-data.html
Read: “AI Can Help Shape Society for the Better– But Humans and Machines Must Work Together” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/18/ai-society-humans-machines-culture-ethics
Read: "This A.I. Subculture's Motto: Go, Go, Go" https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/10/technology/ai-acceleration.html?campaign_id=4&emc=edit_dk_20231211&instance_id=109850&nl=dealbook®i_id=94164602&segment_id=152287&te=1&user_id=b007b82a19b83e2942b7c1855af56565
What experiences have informed your perspective on AI systems' role in society? What questions or concerns arise? How do these relate to values important in a democracy - transparency, accountability, protecting rights and civil liberties, equitable access?
Read: “Using AI Without Losing Ourselves: A Critical Media Literacy for the 21st Century” https://medium.com/human-restoration-project/using-ai-without-losing-ourselves-a-critical-media-literacy-for-the-21st-century-9142df89ad13
Read: “ChatGPT and AI Are Raising the Stakes for Media Literacy” https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/chatgpt-and-ai-are-raising-the-stakes-for-media-literacy/2023/04
AI is being used more and more to create things like music, movies, art, and books – the kinds of pop culture stuff we consume every day. While this tech could make creative works easier to make and more personal, it also brings up some big questions we need to think about:
Who actually owns the rights to an AI-created song or movie? The company that made the AI? The person who asked the AI to create it? The AI itself? Current copyright laws don't really have good answers for AI-made stuff yet.
How do we give credit where it's due? Should the AI be listed as a co-creator with the human artists and writers? Some worry this could devalue the hard work of human creatives.
Access is another issue. AI could democratize pop culture creation so anyone can affordably make their own personalized content. Cool, right? But what if just a few big tech companies monopolize it all instead?
We also have to think about bias and representation. The data used to train AI can bake in real-world biases, so the pop culture it creates could misrepresent or underrepresent certain groups. And there's a risk of everything looking kinda similar if the AI starts following the same patterns.
Safety's important too. AI-generated content could possibly be used to spread misinformation, create deepfakes to trick people, or even make inappropriate or offensive stuff – whether on purpose or by accident.
So while AI pop culture has amazing potential, we need to be media literate about the pitfalls too. Who profits? Who gets left out? How do we foster creativity while protecting human creators and audiences?
Read: “Is AI Coming for Our Kids? Why the Latest Wave of Pop-Cultural Tech Anxiety Should Come as No Surprise” https://theconversation.com/is-ai-coming-for-our-kids-why-the-latest-wave-of-pop-cultural-tech-anxiety-should-come-as-no-surprise-212869
Watch: “AI Art, Explained” (13:33) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVcsDDABEkM&t=812s
Read: “A.I. Pop Culture Is Already Here” https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/ai-pop-culture-is-already-here