The Emerging Media Lab has always been a place for innovators, and with the current debate surrounding AI’s role in education, particularly with the rise of ChatGPT, it is a good opportunity to go through the lab’s history with AI, from the first AI project we did to now, where most of our prototypes explore the place of Artificial Intelligence in higher education.
EML has always been “cautiously intrigued” by Artificial Intelligence. Our long history with AI began in 2019 with a project called Language ChatSim. This program, created in collaboration with the English Language Institute, used an early version of AI called Google’s DialogFlow, and allowed users to practice either English or German in a Virtual Reality grocery store. The goal of this project was to create an accessible and easy to use tool for new language learners, providing them with an environment for them to practice grammar and pronunciation without needing to seek out a language partner. The ultimate goal was to expand outwards by having the program support multiple languages, however, ChatSim was ahead of its time. It was unable to find funding, and the project never moved past the prototype stage. Nevertheless, ChatSim shows that EML is a space for innovation; providing the resources for everyone to explore AI.
Since ChatSim, EML has continued to work with Artificial Intelligence, both in terms of projects and employee training. One such project, Judicial Interrogatory Simulator, uses AI to expand access to justice and improve pedagogy within the law school. Using AI, the Judicial Interrogatory Simulator is able to act as a judge, asking probing questions and allowing students to practice the process of presenting a legal case, allowing the project to seamlessly combine AI and law. Similarly, OCELIA PI, Dr. Siobhan McPhee, stated that her philosophy has always been “if we do not engage with [AI], we will get left behind”. Indeed, both project reflects this philosophy, as both aim to provide a resource for first-year students, helping them prepare for assessments, critically engage with course texts and prepare for academic discussions, thereby seamlessly integrating AI in to her pedagogy and letting students “contribute to their own teaching and learning”.
As for EML’s project teams, past 3D Generalist Anushka Sharma, showed in the feature photo, prepared a workshop for the project teams, where she discussed how to use Artificial Intelligence to animate and rig a 3D character. As shown by her work, Artificial Intelligence is constantly evolving, and EML is evolving along with it. Our PIs, projects, and project teams are all integrating AI into their work, constantly growing and discovering new ways to use this innovative new tool, and we look forward to seeing where this journey with AI takes us next.
