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.

Here’s this week’s news:

OpenAI Joins C2PA Steering Committee – OpenAI has recently joined the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) as a steering committee member. This collaboration is part of a larger effort to combat misinformation by enhancing the authenticity and provenance of digital content, a crucial move as digital media consumption increases globally.

Financial Times announces partnership with OpenAI – The Financial Times has partnered with OpenAI to integrate artificial intelligence into their journalistic efforts. This partnership aims to utilize AI to enrich the news experience with high-quality, attributed content and to develop innovative features that leverage advanced AI capabilities to enhance the accessibility and reliability of news.

The debate over AI rights – There’s an ongoing debate regarding the rights of AI systems, focusing on the ethical implications of potentially conscious AI. The discussion centers on whether AIs that exhibit signs of self-awareness should be granted legal personhood and rights similar to humans, highlighting a complex intersection of technology, ethics, and law.

GitHub Introduces Copilot Workspace – GitHub has unveiled Copilot Workspace, an AI-driven tool designed to streamline the software development process. This new platform enhances GitHub’s Copilot by assisting developers with code suggestion, task management, and overall project planning, making the development process more efficient and intuitive.

AWS Launches Amazon Q – Amazon Web Services has released Amazon Q, a new generative AI-powered assistant that aims to revolutionize software development. This tool facilitates faster development cycles and better data integration, allowing companies to leverage their internal data more effectively and innovate at a greater pace.

Ollama’s Latest Release – Ollama has announced significant updates to their models, including enhancements to their flagship large language models and improvements in GPU detection technology. These updates are designed to optimize the performance and reliability of their models, supporting a wide range of development needs.

OpenAI’s Outreach to Artists Over AI Algorithms -OpenAI is proactively engaging with the artistic community to address and resolve concerns regarding the use of artists’ works by AI algorithms. This initiative seeks to foster a collaborative relationship with artists to ensure that their intellectual property rights are respected as AI technologies continue to evolve.

AI and Worker Burnout at Microsoft and LinkedIn – Microsoft and LinkedIn are experiencing challenges related to worker burnout due to the rapid implementation of AI technologies aimed at increasing productivity. The report highlights the critical need for companies to find a balance between leveraging AI for business benefits and maintaining the well-being of their employees.

Nick Bostrom on AI’s Potential to Fix Everything – Philosopher Nick Bostrom discusses the potential of AI to solve existential challenges like disease and climate change in his latest book. He explores the implications of a future dominated by AI solutions, questioning the meaning and value of human life in a world where all needs are met by technology.

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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: DeepSeek

What is DeepSeek?

DeepSeek is a sophisticated AI tool developed in China, featuring a 236 billion parameter Mixture of Experts (MoE) model. It’s designed to tackle complex data processing and language understanding tasks, setting it apart from traditional search engines and chatbots.

How is it used?

DeepSeek offers a user-friendly interface, accessible both through an API and a chat window, allowing for versatile interactions. Developers can integrate DeepSeek’s capabilities into applications to harness its analytical power, while users can directly engage with the tool via the chat interface for real-time data analysis and information retrieval. This dual-mode accessibility enhances its utility across various professional and casual contexts, making it a great solution for those needing complex data interpretation and responses.

What is it used for?

Ideal for rigorous research in fields like academia, business intelligence, and technology, DeepSeek excels at understanding and responding to intricate queries, making it invaluable for projects requiring detailed analysis and nuanced information synthesis.

For further information, visit DeepSeek.

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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.