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 in AI and technology news, a plagiarism controversy involving Perplexity highlighted ongoing ethical issues in AI. Meta introduced new research models and technology initiatives aimed at innovation and transparency. Predictions about the rapid advancement of AI were made by industry leaders, while researchers focused on reducing biases in AI systems. Legal battles emerged between the music industry and generative AI startups over copyright issues. Additionally, educational institutions like UBC are exploring the integration of AI in learning, and new collaborative tools for AI, such as Claude’s Artifacts, are being introduced to enhance productivity and teamwork.

Here’s this week’s news:

AI Ethics and Accountability

Perplexity Plagiarizes Wired Article
Perplexity, an AI-powered search startup, has been accused of plagiarizing a Wired article that criticized the company. The Wired investigation revealed that Perplexity’s chatbot reproduced significant portions of the article, raising concerns about copyright infringement and ethical AI use. The incident underscores the ongoing challenges of ensuring AI systems respect intellectual property rights. Read more​

Meta Developments

New AI Research Models from Meta Meta has released new AI research models designed to accelerate innovation at scale. These models aim to enhance various AI capabilities, providing researchers and developers with advanced tools to push the boundaries of AI technology. Read more

AI Technology for Europe Meta is focusing on developing AI technology tailored for European users, emphasizing transparency and responsibility. This initiative is part of Meta’s broader strategy to ensure its AI developments align with regional values and regulations. Read more​

AI and Society

Reducing AI Social Bias Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a new training technique aimed at reducing social biases in AI systems. This technique seeks to address the ethical implications of biased AI and improve the fairness and accuracy of AI-driven decisions. Read more​

SoftBank Chief Predicts AGI within a Decade SoftBank’s CEO has made a bold prediction that artificial general intelligence (AGI) and artificial superintelligence (ASI) could become a reality within the next ten years. This forecast highlights the rapid advancements in AI and the potential for significant technological breakthroughs in the near future. Read more​

Legal Issues in AI

Music Labels Sue Generative AI Startups Major music labels have filed lawsuits against generative AI startups, accusing them of copyright infringement. These legal actions reflect the growing tension between AI innovation and intellectual property rights, as the music industry seeks to protect its content from unauthorized use by AI systems. Read more

UBC AI Events

Instructional Design in the GenAI Era The University of British Columbia is hosting events focused on instructional design and the integration of generative AI in education. These events aim to explore the evolving definition of education and how AI can enhance learning experiences. Read more

Generative AI Studios UBC is also organizing Generative AI Studios, providing a platform for staff to engage with the latest AI tools and techniques. This initiative is part of UBC’s effort to foster a community of practice around generative AI. Read more​

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Tool of the Week

Each week we demonstrate a Generative AI tool that can be used within teaching and learning. The GenAI space is evolving rapidly, and as such we demo new tools or new ways people use those tools.

As a reminder not all tools we showcase have successfully been through the PIA process at UBC.

Tool of the Week: Claude’s Artifacts

What is Claude’s Artifacts? Claude’s Artifacts is a new feature on Claude.ai that expands user interaction with AI-generated content. It allows users to generate content such as code snippets, text documents, and website designs, which appear in a dedicated window alongside their conversation.

How is it used? Users can ask Claude to generate various types of content, which are then displayed in a dynamic workspace. This workspace enables users to see, edit, and build upon Claude’s creations in real-time, seamlessly integrating AI-generated content into their projects and workflows.

What is it used for? This feature marks Claude’s evolution from a conversational AI to a collaborative work environment. In the near future, teams and organizations will be able to securely centralize their knowledge, documents, and ongoing work in one shared space, with Claude serving as an on-demand teammate. This facilitates team collaboration and project management, enhancing productivity and innovation. Read more

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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.