Generative AI

Project Overview

Generative AI is an ever-evolving technology. As a UX/GD designer, I took it upon myself to learn about the intricacies of generative AI in hopes to understand how it can be utilized to enhance production without becoming over-reliant.

Research

Survey

Strictly focusing on academia, this survey, taken primarily by students and faculty members alike, provides a unique insight into how the general school body views generative AI and its implications. Since generative AI will inevitably grow as technology advances, it was important to gain a perspective on how students and staff felt about its ever-growing presence and gain further understanding on how it can be utilized in a manner that can be beneficial in a learning environment.

While conducting this survey, it was important to identify the scope of the audience who chose to participate. In this case, over 60% of the responses were submitted by students, while the remainder were submitted by instructors, supporting staff members, and other affiliates.

When asked whether or not the respondents believed the use of generative AI could have a negative impact on a student's learning, the responses were nearly split between "yes", AI can have a negative impact, and "It depends", AI can have a negative impact depending on the circumstances and the intentions. What was also telling was how none of the respondents believed that generative AI cannot have a negative impact.

Expanding on the previous question, respondents were asked if there should be an implication of restrictions when it comes to utilizing generative AI for course work. The overwhelming majority responded with "yes". While the remainder responded with "no", being assumed they responded this way to signify the complete removal of generative AI in academia.

Rating the frequency in which respondents use generative AI (1=Never, 10=Always), 2/3 respondents record using AI less frequently as opposed to the respondents who record using AI more frequently.

In addition to respondents being asked about their frequency in utilizing generative AI, they were also asked to rate (1=Never, 5=Heavily) and provide explanations for their rating on whether they thought generative AI should be used for schoolwork. Despite the majority of respondents having little to no experience utilizing generative AI, more than half of the respondents indicated that generative AI can/should be incorporated in coursework, although with limitations. Some explanations provided key statistical analysis from a wide variety of different sources including, but not limited to, papers published by the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, the International Energy Agency, etc.

With having most respondents indicating a necessary use of generative AI, although with limitations, the respondents then had a chance to identify some key examples in which the use of generative AI would be deemed acceptable. A wide majority of the respondents viewed examples including: "Checking for grammatical errors", "Help brainstorming ideas", Proofreading written material", and "Generating templates or outlines for projects" as acceptable instances where generative AI could be utilized.

On the contrary to the acceptable instances for generative AI utilization, this question highlights instances where the use of generative AI would be deemed inappropriate. Contrasting the responses given in the previous question, examples including: "Generating answers for assignments" and "Completing entire assignments and/or projects" were unequivocally deemed inappropriate.

Prompting In Gen AI

Through establishing the sentiment of using Generative AI as a tool to assist and enhance one's work, the next step was to identify and expand on particular aspects regarding AI. Afterall, generative AI is a very intricate technology to understand. It has access to all sorts of information available throughout the world wide web. With that in mind, it is important to be as clear and concise as possible with when prompting generative AI. Otherwise, the response given might not align with the intended outcome. Highlighting the importance of effective generative AI prompting, this poster was created, referencing the University of Michigan's Generative AI Prompting for Educational Purposes page (https://genai.umich.edu/resources/prompt-literacy) for inspiration. In this poster, examples are provided showcasing what "good", "alright", and "bad" prompts look like through the use of infographics.

The final product of this poster turned extraordinarily, in such case that it has received immense praise from other students and faculty alike. In fact, one of the instructors would include this poster as an example in his own personal report regarding the positive developments of his course.

UURAF

On Friday, April 11, 2025, I had the honor of presenting my research regarding Generative AI in Michigan State University's annual University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF). I consider this event to be the culmination of all the projects I have done over the past 2024-2025 school year that centered around the use of Generative AI. In my presentation poster, I cover three out of multiple projects that I found to be most influential in my research while also providing a small list of potential benefits and challenges that come with Generative AI. To conclude it all, I provided a proposal that basically summarized what I have learned throughout the entire research process along with providing my thoughts and recommendations for how Generative AI can be utilized in an ethical and efficient manner.