The Metaverse, Implantable Tech, and AI with Katina Michael

Learning Futures Podcast - Season 6 is off to a stunner of a start! I am always thrilled when the chance arises to talk with Dr. Katina Michael, and our conversation around the metaverse, implantable technologies, and AI did not disappoint. Have a listen!

Sean and Katina explore a wide range of emergent technologies from the impact of Artificial Intelligence on Education to Biological and Digital Convergence, the Metaverse and XR, and much more. With each topic we discuss the sometimes hidden impacts, and the potential for societal change.

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Future of being human: Will AI transform how we learn?

A Livestream Event on YouTube
In our rapidly evolving digital age, how might generative AI reshape the landscape of learning? On September 28, 2023, tune in to a live-streamed conversation on this very topic, hosted by the well-renowned Professor Andrew Maynard, as part of Arizona State University's "The Future of Being Human ... Unplugged" series.

I had the honor, along with two wonderful students, to join Professor Andrew Maynard in an engaging dialogue, seeking to understand the role of generative AI in our future classrooms, workspaces, and everyday lives.

About "The Future of Being Human … Unplugged":

Hosted by Arizona State University's Future of Being Human initiative, this series is no conventional online dialogue. Forget tedious PowerPoint presentations, prolonged opening remarks, or dense monologues. Instead, the series is geared towards creating candid, unpredictable conversations that challenge our perspectives on the nexus of advanced tech, modern science, and the evolving essence of human nature.

With the "Unplugged" theme, the discussions aim to break free from the traditional norms and delve into unconventional ideas without the constraints of disciplinary boundaries. The ultimate goal? To stimulate thought, entertain, and provide a fresh look at what being human might mean in a technologically sophisticated future.

Prepare to be inspired as we dive deep into the role of generative AI in the future of learning!

To learn more checkout all of the events from Future of Being Human: Unplugged

Generative AI Webinar Conversation Series

Hosting a Webinar Conversation Series

I was honored to be asked to host a series of conversational webinars with fellow AI experts at Arizona State University this spring. This webinar series provided an opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to engage in contemporary and emergent discussions around the use of generative AI in higher education. You can access the full webinar series along with other generative AI resources for ASU from the PO’s official website: Office of the University Provost: Generative AI

Episode 01 (April 4, 2023): What are generative AI tools?

Episode 02 (April 5, 2023): What generative AI tools are available?

Episode 03 (April 13, 2023): In what ways can generative AI impact academic integrity?

Episode 04 (April 14, 2023): How can ASU foster a positive culture around generative AI?

Episode 05 (April 18, 2023): Generative AI’s impact on critical thinking and research?

Episode 06 (April 19, 2023): Generative AI and social justice

Background For Conversation series

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has been a burning topic of conversation far and wide since late 2022 - and the discussions among the higher education community is just one sector (out of many) that are trying to grapple with this seemingly sudden wide-spread emergent technology. While Generative AI tools have been available for a while, the sudden appearance of user-friendly interfaces popularized by OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Stability.ai’s Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, etc. have ushered in a new era of access to these large machine learning tools that were previously only accessible to those with more advanced AI / ML knowledge than the general public.

What is Generative AI?

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that uses machine learning algorithms to create new content based on user input, without being explicitly programmed. Generative AI systems are trained using large datasets, and analyze patterns, rules and statistical structures to generate new content. There are different types of generative AI applications and models, each using different machine learning models, neural networks and approaches to generating content. Examples of generative AI include ChatGPT, DALL-E and StableDiffusion. DALL-E and StableDiffusion are text-to-image generators that use a type of neural network called generative adversarial network (GAN) to create new images based on input parameters. ChatGPT builds a transformer-based language model from a generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) to process sequential data and generate sequenced responses.

Unlocking Creativity with a Generative AI Workshop

Generative AI Workshop

An exploration of emergent artificial intelligence tools, Spring semester 2023.

Spring semester 2023 - the one topic that seems inescapable is artificial intelligence (AI) or more specifically the “Cambrian explosion” of generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT, StableDiffusion, Elevenlabs, and MidJourney just to name a few. This increasing awareness and need for exploring and understanding generative AI led to the development of this short introductory workshop offered in the Spring 2023. One of the core tenants of the experience is taking a hands-on approach through a Learn-it, Try-it, and Apply-it model with a short section of reflection.

Goals and Learning Outcomes

As educators work to familiarize themselves with these new and emergent tools this workshop was designed to foster a positive discourse to encourage a constructive dialogue and atmosphere regarding the integration of Generative AI in educational practices, academic research, and creative endeavors.

Learning Outcomes

1. High level understanding of fundamental technology behind popular generative AI applications

2. Discuss experiences and observations of affordances and constraints of generative AI tools

3. Evaluate potential impact on educational context, and identify areas of need for deeper understanding

Background on the Purpose and Need

As the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to evolve and grow, there has been an increasing interest in the use of Generative AI in various industries (or perhaps another way to think about this - are there any industries at the moment that is NOT looking into the disruptive potential of generative AI?). In the field of higher education, Generative AI has the potential to revolutionize the way students learn and interact with the world around them. By enabling machines to generate new and unique content, educators can create personalized learning experiences that cater to each student's individual needs. However, with this exciting potential comes a need to understand how this technology actually works, and to evaluate the affordances and constraints it has in each contextual setting. Hosting a workshop for higher education faculty on Generative AI is crucial for ensuring that educators have the skills and knowledge necessary to incorporate this technology into their teaching practices effectively.

Challenges and Opportunities of AI in Education

EdTech Korea Forum 2021

September 15, 2021 | Conference theme: EdTech Unlocks Learning Innovation

It was an honor to be invited to speak at the EdTech Korea Forum 2021 on artificial intelligence in education. EdTech Korea Forum is the largest ICT conference in Korea, hosted by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea, and was presented in English and Korean languages. The conference presenters represented a rich and diverse group of presenters from a range of professional experts including educators, policy-makers, industry partners, and academics.

My presentation was titled: Challenges and Opportunities of AI in Education in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Abstract: (From Conference Website)

As our collective global society stands on the precipice of the Fourth Industrial Revolution ushered in through the rapid advancements and convergence of digital, biological, and physical technologies and innovations, the challenges and opportunities for the education system have never been more salient. Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have presented the system of education with an emergent horizon of new technological applications to address historical and contemporary challenges facing the educational system. This presentation will explore the emerging role of AI in education, and address issues around the impact of fair distribution, unintended consequences, and the need for a humanistic approach to emerging technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Below is the flyer for the event (one in English the other in Korean)

Smart thoughts: Designing the future

I was recently asked to share my thoughts on the future as a design space in a short essay for the launch of The Guide Project. The goal of the Guide Project is to connect the communities of practice designing the future. The Guide’s aim is to “accelerate novel, audacious, ways to improve - and then create - human futures in which we can thrive.”

The Guide Project is an inititative run out of the ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Needless to say I was honored to contribute a small piece of writing to this impressive project.

““Let’s think the unthinkable, let’s do the undoable. Let us prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all.” ”

— Douglas Adams (1987)

I wrote this short essay based on the prompt: The human future as a design space – what does that mean to you?

This essay appears along 29 other contributors in the section entitled “Smart Thoughts about designing the future”. I approached this this essay by considering a preferable future space designed to leverage technology in the near-ish distance of 20-35 years and what that might look like from a personal-to-physical space interactions. This future scenario also takes the assumption that we are well into the Fourth Industrial Revolution brought on by the Third Age of Computing. Putting aside all of the potential challenges and factors that might militate against this preferable future, I presented the following exercises in thought.

Online Article: Design Your Life-Long-Learning Places For an Augmented You

Written by Dr. Sean Leahy, with editorial support from Dr. Joel Garreau