These sixty minute, weekly sessions – facilitated by Technologists and Pedagogy Experts from the CTLT – are designed for faculty and staff at UBC who are using, or thinking about using, Generative AI tools as part of their teaching, researching, or daily work. Each week we discuss the news of the week, highlight a specific tool for use within teaching and learning, and then hold a question and answer session for attendees.

They run on Zoom every Wednesday from 1pm – 2pm and you can register for upcoming events on the CTLT Events Website.

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News of the Week

Each week we discuss several new items that happened in the Generative AI space over the past 7 days. There’s usually a flood of new AI-adjacent news every week – as this industry is moving so fast – so we highlight news articles which are relevant to the UBC community.

This week, we delved into the open-source movement within AI, highlighting efforts by major companies like Apple and initiatives such as Opening Up ChatGPT. These developments emphasize the importance of transparency, collaboration, and ethical considerations in the advancement of AI technologies. We additionally discussed new initiatives at the University of British Columbia. Below are some key updates reflecting these themes.

Here’s this week’s news:

Apple Embraces Open-Source AI

Apple has released 20 new Core ML models on the Hugging Face platform, embracing open-source AI. These models, designed for on-device performance, cover a variety of tasks including depth estimation, semantic segmentation, and image classification, leveraging Apple Silicon’s capabilities. This move aims to democratize access to advanced machine learning tools. Read more.

DeepMind’s Generating Audio for Video

DeepMind has introduced a new technology for generating high-quality audio for videos. This technology uses advanced AI models to create realistic sound effects and background scores, enhancing the multimedia experience. The AI can analyze visual content to produce corresponding audio that matches the context, offering a significant improvement in audio-visual synchronization. Read more.

NVIDIA’s NEMOtron-4 for Synthetic Data Generation and LLM Training

NVIDIA has launched NEMOtron-4, a platform designed to generate synthetic data and facilitate the training of large language models (LLMs). This platform helps in creating diverse datasets that can be used to train AI models more effectively, addressing the limitations of real-world data and improving model accuracy and robustness. Read more.

C2PA in DALL-E 3

OpenAI has integrated the Content Authenticity Initiative’s (C2PA) standards into DALL-E 3 to ensure the authenticity of generated images. This integration allows users to verify the provenance of images, providing transparency and combating misinformation by embedding metadata about the creation process directly into the images. Read more.

DeepSeek AI’s New AI Discovery Tool

DeepSeek AI has unveiled a new AI-powered tool designed to enhance data discovery and analysis. This tool leverages advanced algorithms to sift through large datasets, identifying patterns and insights that can help businesses make informed decisions. The tool promises to streamline data processing and improve efficiency in data analysis workflows. Read more.

Opening Up ChatGPT Initiative

The Opening Up ChatGPT initiative aims to make ChatGPT more accessible and transparent. This initiative involves open-sourcing key components of ChatGPT, allowing developers and researchers to understand and contribute to its development. It also focuses on improving the ethical and responsible use of AI through community collaboration. Read more.

ChatGPT is Bullsh*t: Examining AI Hallucinations

A recent study in Ethics and Information Technology critiques the concept of AI “hallucinations” in models like ChatGPT. The authors argue that these inaccuracies are better described as “bullsh*t” in the philosophical sense, highlighting the indifference of AI systems to the truth and questioning the implications for public understanding and policy. Read more.

Large TLEF Special Call at UBC

Generative AI Collaborative Cluster Grants
The University of British Columbia has announced a special call for grants aimed at supporting collaborative research projects in generative AI. This initiative is part of UBC’s commitment to advancing AI research and education. Read more.

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Feature of the Week

Feature of the Week: Large TLEF Special Call at UBC

The University of British Columbia (UBC) has launched a special call for grants under its Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund (TLEF) to support innovative research projects in generative AI. This initiative aims to foster collaboration among researchers and educators to explore how AI can be used to enhance teaching and learning experiences across various disciplines.

Researchers and educators at UBC are encouraged to apply for these grants, which provide financial support for projects that integrate generative AI into educational settings. These projects can range from developing AI-powered tutoring systems to creating tools for personalized learning experiences and using AI to analyze and improve teaching methods.

This special call is part of UBC’s broader commitment to advancing AI research and education, encouraging cross-disciplinary collaboration to leverage AI technologies to address educational challenges and improve learning outcomes. For more information, explore the Large TLEF Special Call at UBC.

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Questions and Answers

Each studio ends with a question and answer session whereby attendees can ask questions of the pedagogy experts and technologists who facilitate the sessions. We have published a full FAQ section on this site. If you have other questions about GenAI usage, please get in touch.