Artificial Intelligence (AI)* has a significant presence in personal, academic, and professional online spaces. As a student, how can you determine when, or if, AI is appropriate to use? Critical AI Literacy encourages you to use your own values, needs, and experiences to help you make mindful decisions about AI. This tutorial will explore AI in a variety of contexts and ask you to think critically about the presence and impact of AI in your own life.
* The tutorial uses the umbrella terms “AI” and “AI systems” to include Generative AI and AI more broadly. Generative AI is a type of AI technology that can produce various types of content, including text, images, audio, video, and data; it learns through exposure to vast amounts of existing data to identify patterns, and uses algorithms to guide AI output.
Learning Goals
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Evaluate AI using personal values and learning needs.
- Consider critical questions and practical applications of AI.
- Understand the complexity of AI in learning and research contexts.
- Know where to go for additional help.
Reflect
AI is seemingly everywhere. Many search engines feature AI-generated content as the default search result, and technology tools encourage us to use their “AI companions” to be more productive. Our social media feeds are quickly filling up with AI content. Photos and art on social media often indicate “AI generated” when you click on the image, or we find out a song we like is by an “AI artist.” AI systems present opportunities that may contribute to your learning but also prompt important considerations about personal and academic ethics, bias and privacy.
Throughout the tutorial, reflect on these questions, and ask your own:
- How do you feel about the prevalence of AI across technologies?
- In what ways do you already use AI? In what ways do you actively avoid using AI?
- What personal values help you decide when to use and when to resist using AI?
We recognize that AI (and AI discourse) is complex and constantly changing – so with all that said, let’s get into Critical AI Literacy.