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Artificial Intelligence at Ringling

Ringling College's Recommended AI Tools, Press Releases, and Policies Regarding AI and the AI Certificate Program

Ringling College AI Statement

The Artificial Intelligence Task Force crafted a statement for consideration by senior leadership. This is a general statement to faculty, students, and staff about the College’s current stance on AI and our approach to AI moving forward this year:

Ringling College of Art and Design is dedicated to the development of emerging artists, equipping them with a foundation to shape and communicate their unique voice throughout their lifetime. We appreciate that this commitment transcends beyond traditional paradigms, to encompass a world progressively influenced by technology and, specifically, the transformative power of artificial intelligence.

Our mission is not only to educate students in fundamental art and design skills; it is also about exploring and understanding the theoretical, philosophical, and legal processes that underlie the crafting of artistic voices. Ignoring AI, a technology poised to effect seismic shifts in human interactions, would be counterintuitive to our purpose. This necessity to address AI’s impact on our pedagogy stems not just from the opportunities it presents, but also the challenges it creates.

We acknowledge the ethical conundrums tied to AI's evolution, particularly those concerning the compilation of datasets for prominent AI tools. Many artists' works were used without consent in the training of some of these models, and we recognize the detrimental effect this has on our artist community. Alongside these ethical dilemmas are serious legal questions that cannot be ignored. As an institution, we acknowledge these challenges and commit to addressing them with due diligence and integrity.

The AI revolution is extensive, impacting not only image generation but also a host of other sectors our students engage in. These include writing, data analysis, presentation creation, graphic design, game design, animation, storytelling, experience design, video creation and editing, and computer coding, among others. It is clear that AI, with its current trajectory, will significantly impact every program at Ringling College in the near future.

The flexibility of our curriculum permits each major and its faculty to independently determine the role AI tools will play in their teaching and learning. We believe this freedom will allow our majors to harness AI's potential in an ethical and responsible way according to their unique educational needs.

Our exploration of AI extends beyond its creative applications to its potential as a teaching tool. For technical and complex subjects, AI can be an invaluable asset for enhancing student understanding. As such, we are keen to uncover its potential to improve educational outcomes across various courses, both within the Liberal Arts and studio curricula.

Ringling College of Art and Design must reckon honestly and proactively with AI. We acknowledge the concerns and are committed to addressing them as we venture into this new frontier. We believe this journey will serve our mission of providing a comprehensive educational experience that equips our students to navigate and thrive in a dynamically evolving world.

Last updated November 2023

AI Policy Recommendations

We strongly believe that there is no single college-wide policy for AI that can serve the needs of all of our distinct majors and departments.

We propose that the leadership and faculty within each major or program should work together to craft an AI policy that works for best achieving their student learning outcomes.

We recommend that every course syllabus have specific rules for the use of AI in that class and for its assignments. AI expectations need to be clear to students at the start of the semester.

Suggested Syllabus Language

We recommend that all syllabi include a definition of AI Tools and state the specific policy for that class.

AI Tools Definition: AI Tools are software applications powered by machine learning and neural networks, specifically using generative models to create new content or aid in tasks. This includes text generators like ChatGPT, image generators such as Midjourney, and a variety of other AI technologies across different fields and media.

Citation and Documentation: If your syllabus requires documentation, you should provide the proper citation and documentation format for your class.

Here are some examples for suggested citation from the Modern Language Association and the Chicago Manual of Style:

Below is suggested syllabus language for four different approaches to using AI to complete assignments:

Use of AI Tools is prohibited: Students may not use AI Tools of any kind for assignments in this course. Using such tools will be considered plagiarism and is thus prohibited by the Ringling Academic Integrity Policy.

May use AI Tools only with specific permission: Students may use AI Tools on specific assignments in this course only when specified by the instructor. Using such tools without permission will be considered plagiarism and is thus prohibited by the Ringling Academic Integrity Policy. If permission is granted to use AI Tools, the student must document and credit the AI Tools they used for the assignment.

May use AI Tools with acknowledgement: Students may use AI Tools for assignments in this course as long as that use is properly documented and credited.

Use of AI Tools is freely permitted with no acknowledgement: Students are allowed to use AI Tools for assignments in this course; no special documentation or citation is required.

We recommend that a final and approved version of the above language gets added to the Syllabus Template provided by Academic Affairs.