Empowering Youth Through Generative AI Workshops

Generative AI tools are changing how young people create and share media. They allow kids to express their ideas through art, music, writing, and more. However, these tools also raise important questions, like who owns the art created by AI, how to protect personal data, and whether it is right to use AI for creative work. Since these tools are already part of many products that kids use, it’s essential for them to learn about how they work and how to use them responsibly. This article looks at a workshop designed to teach high school students about generative AI through a creative exercise that encourages self-expression.

#What is Generative AI?

Generative AI is a type of technology that can create new content based on existing examples. This can be images, music, text, and even videos. These AI systems learn from patterns in the data they are trained on and can produce new pieces that resemble the examples, like generating a new photo of a cat after being shown many pictures of cats. Recently, tools like ChatGPT and Dall-E have made generative AI more accessible to the general public. With easy-to-use platforms, people can create art or write stories without needing to be experts in technology.

#Benefits and Risks

Generative AI offers exciting possibilities for young creators. It lowers barriers to access and lets kids express their ideas in various ways. However, there are risks involved. For example, AI can reinforce harmful stereotypes, raise questions about copyright, and lead to the creation of misleading information. There is concern that these tools may take jobs away from artists, and many students are not aware of how these technologies function. Educating young people about generative AI is now more important than ever.

#Creative Expression Through AI

Making things can be a profound form of self-expression for young people and can help them learn new skills. By using generative AI, students can explore their identities and stories while learning about technology. The workshop we designed aimed to combine learning about AI with a creative activity where students visualize their dreams for the future.

#Workshop Overview

We organized a workshop called “Constructing Dreams” for high school students, where they used a generative AI tool called Dream Studio to create images that represent their future aspirations. The goal was to teach them how these tools work while allowing them to think about how they see themselves in the future. The workshop was divided into different parts to help students learn creatively and technically.

#Introduction to Generative AI

In the first part of the workshop, students discussed their familiarity with generative AI. Initially, few students knew about generative AI, but most had heard of ChatGPT. We introduced generative AI through various methods, including definitions, examples, and comparisons with predictive AI. This was to help students grasp what makes generative AI different and how it can be used.

#Reflecting on Implications

Next, we encouraged students to think critically about the implications of using AI. We showed them examples of AI-generated artwork and asked how these tools could be used positively as well as negatively. This guided reflection helped students prepare to handle the ethical questions surrounding AI.

#Constructing Dreams

In the main activity, students were asked to visualize a dream future for themselves. They wrote detailed prompts describing what they saw in their dreams. These prompts included questions about their appearance, activities, and setting. The students then entered these prompts into Dream Studio to generate images representing their dreams. They could tweak their prompts to better match their visions, gradually learning how to communicate with the AI more effectively.

#Sharing Dreams

Students had the chance to share their generated dreams with each other. This sharing helped them express their imagined future selves and explore how AI interpreted their words. We guided discussions about their experiences with the tool, their thoughts on how well AI represented their ideas, and any surprises they encountered along the way.

#Learning Objectives

The workshop had specific goals for learning outcomes across three categories: creative, technical, and ethical.

#Creative Learning Objectives

1. Creating Prompts: Students learned how to write prompts that effectively generated images.
2. Tweaking Creations: They practiced adjusting their prompts to achieve desired results.

#Technical Learning Objectives

1. Understanding Abilities: Students recognized what generative AI can do.
2. Identifying Limitations: They discovered the shortcomings of generative AI, such as biases and misrepresentations.
3. Mapping Features: Students learned to link visual elements in AI-generated images to their prompts.
4. Applications: They identified where generative AI can be used in real-world scenarios.

#Ethical Learning Objectives

1. Identifying Harms: Students were encouraged to recognize potential risks of generative AI, such as Bias and misinformation.
2. Voicing Opinions: They had the opportunity to share thoughts on school policies regarding the use of AI tools.

#Student Experiences

The workshop was conducted with two student groups: one in-person and one online. Overall, students were engaged and enjoyed the process of creating with generative AI. They generated an average of 12.6 images each, indicating they were willing to experiment with the tool to reach their creative goals.

#Impressions and Feedback

At the beginning, only a few students knew what generative AI was, but many were familiar with ChatGPT. All students were surprised by the quality of the generative media they saw. During discussions, they noted several potential benefits of generative AI, such as creating artwork and enhancing communication. However, they also expressed concerns about cheating and plagiarism, with some students feeling that using AI-generated art was unfair to human artists.

#Exploring Bias in AI

As students created their images, they encountered challenges related to representation. For example, when trying to depict their ethnic backgrounds, they noticed that the AI often defaulted to common stereotypes. Students shared strategies to improve their prompts, such as adding specific cultural references to better reflect their identities. These experiences led to discussions about how biases in training data can affect the outputs of generative AI.

#Reflection on AI’s Role

After the creative activity, students reflected on how generative AI might be used in their schools. Opinions varied, with some believing that these tools could enhance presentations or support creative projects. Others raised concerns about misuse, particularly in homework and assignments. Most students felt that it was crucial to acknowledge when AI was used to complete tasks.

#Cultural Differences in Perceptions

The workshop included students from different backgrounds, allowing us to observe varying attitudes toward generative AI. Students in the U.S. generally held more positive views about using AI tools in classrooms, while students in India often viewed them as potential sources of plagiarism. These differing perspectives underline the importance of considering cultural contexts in education about technology.

#Importance of Ethical Education

Teaching young people about generative AI also involves addressing the ethical concerns tied to its use. As these tools become more widespread, it is crucial to have open discussions about the positives and negatives. Educators should explain the limitations and potential biases of generative AI so that students can engage with these tools thoughtfully.

#Limitations of the Workshop

While the workshop provided valuable insights, there were some limitations. Not all students participated in a formal assessment, and we did not gather detailed demographic information about them. Future Workshops could benefit from structured assessments to better gauge student learning, as well as extended sessions to explore the topics more deeply.

#Conclusion

The “Constructing Dreams” workshop provided high school students with a unique opportunity to learn about generative AI while expressing their identities. By combining creative activities with discussions about ethics, students engaged in meaningful ways with this technology. The feedback from participants highlights the importance of educating young people about generative AI and its implications for their lives and futures. It is essential that we continue to offer similar workshops to ensure that students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to navigate this rapidly changing technological landscape responsibly.