ChatGPT and other AI tools have taken up a lot of space in our social discourse lately. Generative AI is a technology which creates synthetic content that seems like it could have been created by a human. It can write stories, make images, compose music, and produce videos. The rapid advancement and availability of these Generative AI tools have left many of us wondering, will AI replace our livelihoods?  Can it take the place of a storyteller or visual artist? Does the use of Generative Al risk homogenizing cultural narratives, leaving some of our stories misrepresented or untold? Will there be any room left for critical thinking development by humans?  

Join faculty from the British Columbia Institute of Technology as we delve into these questions and make a case for enhanced AI literacy, agency in adoption and human-centered collaboration with AI. 

Presenters:

Ian Linkletter is an Emerging Technology and Open Education Librarian at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and Vice-Chair of the EdCo Educational Technology and Learning Design Committee. Prior to becoming a librarian, he was a Learning Technology Specialist, having worked for over 10 years at UBC’s Faculty of Education. Areas of specialized interest include accessibility, student privacy, academic freedom, academic surveillance, and online learning.

Bahareh Shahabi, an instructor at the British Columbia Institute of Technology's Communication Department and a Ph.D. student at SFU’s Educational Technology and Learning Design Program, focuses on how digital learning technologies can enhance educational environments to be more engaging, inclusive, and customized. She advocates for the use of educational digital tools to promote higher-level thinking through student-centered designs. Her work aims to improve learning experiences and critical thinking, with a special interest in self-regulated learning and the deployment of technologies in collaborative and authentic settings.

Erika Ram is an Instructor at the British Columbia Institute of Technology's Computing Department and Chair of the EDCO Educational Technology and Learning Design Committee. With over nine years in higher education, her work combines pedagogical theory with practical technology applications, program development and creative problem-solving. Erika champions the "teaching in beta" approach, advocating continuous curriculum evolution. Her research focuses on eLearning, technological agency, STEM education, student self-efficacy, self-motivation, and self-regulation.

Presented as part of Connect Fest Burnaby.