GenAI Studio: News, Tools, and Teaching & Learning FAQs
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.
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 saw several major AI developments: Mistral introduced Pixtral 12B, its first multimodal model, and OpenAI is preparing to release “Strawberry,” a ChatGPT update. The Reflection 70B model faced scrutiny over performance discrepancies, with the creator responding to fraud accusations. DeepMind launched AlphaProteo to advance protein research, while iPhone gained an AI-powered visual search feature. A whitepaper dispelled fears of job loss due to AI, and HailuoAI demonstrated video-powered conversational AI. MIT Sloan developed resources for using AI in education, and a UK school is experimenting with AI’s evolving role in classrooms. UBC is hosting two events to explore generative AI’s role in education, while discussions around AI policy continue with the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence.
Here’s this week’s news:
Mistral Releases Pixtral 12B
French AI startup Mistral has unveiled Pixtral 12B, its first multimodal model capable of processing both text and images. With 12 billion parameters, Pixtral is expected to be able to perform tasks like image captioning, object recognition, and more. Read more.
OpenAI Plans to Release ‘Strawberry’
OpenAI is set to release a new model codenamed “Strawberry,” expected to be part of ChatGPT’s next update. The release, anticipated within two weeks, aims to enhance conversational AI capabilities. Read more.
Reflection 70B Model Under Scrutiny Amid Fraud Claims
Matt Shumer, CEO of OthersideAI, faced allegations of fraud after third-party tests failed to replicate the claimed superior performance of the Reflection 70B model. Shumer apologized but has not fully explained the discrepancies, with critics continuing to raise concerns. Read more.
AlphaProteo Generates Novel Proteins for Health Research
DeepMind’s AlphaProteo is a groundbreaking tool for generating new proteins, advancing research in biology and health. This AI-powered model aims to revolutionize drug discovery and protein engineering by simulating protein structures. Read more.
AI-Powered Visual Search for iPhone
Apple has integrated AI-powered visual search directly into its iPhone platform. This feature allows users to search for images or items using photos, expanding the iPhone’s capabilities in AI-driven search functionalities. Read more.
AI Will Not Lead to Mass Job Losses, Whitepaper Says
A recent whitepaper addresses fears of AI-induced job losses, arguing that AI development is unlikely to cause widespread job displacement and emphasizing that technology can create new opportunities. The paper aims to counter the growing concerns about AI’s impact on employment. Read more.
Introducing NEO Beta: A Humanoid Robot for the Home
1X, an AI robotics company, has revealed NEO Beta, a humanoid robot designed for home use. NEO Beta represents a pre-production build aimed at assisting humans in daily tasks and improving human-robot interaction in domestic settings. Watch here.
Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on AI Signed
The Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law has been signed by numerous member states, marking the first-ever legally binding international treaty regulating AI. The treaty aims to ensure AI systems respect fundamental rights, democracy, and the rule of law while allowing for technological innovation to progress. Read more.
AI Video Generation – Hailuo AI
Created by Chinese AI startup MiniMax, Hailuo AI is a new model with a text-to-video function that excels in generating short 6-second clips based on a text input. The tool demonstrates the growing capabilities of AI in video generation. Try it out.
MIT Sloan on AI in Education
MIT Sloan has developed a comprehensive resource hub to help educators incorporate generative AI into teaching and learning. The hub offers practical strategies and tools to design AI-resilient learning experiences. Read more.
AI-Powered Classroom Experiment in the UK
David Game College in London has launched the UK’s first AI-taught class as part of its Sabrewing program. This initiative replaces traditional teachers with AI platforms and virtual reality headsets, offering personalized education to 20 GCSE students. The experiment aims to reshape the future of education, though questions about social and emotional development remain. Read more.
Open Educational Resources and GenAI – October 23, 2024
UBC is hosting a workshop to explore the integration of generative AI with Open Educational Resources (OER). The event will address how educators can use GenAI to enhance OER while considering ethical and practical implications. Learn more.
GenAI Staff Community of Practice – September 26, 2024
The University of British Columbia will gather staff for a community event focused on generative AI. This initiative aims to share experiences and best practices for using AI tools in education, promoting a collaborative approach to AI integration. Learn more.
Tool of the Week
Tool of the Week: Quizizz AI
What is Quizizz AI?
Quizizz AI is a powerful tool designed for educators to generate, enhance, and customize quizzes instantly. Using AI, it creates questions from any text, document, or web link, helping teachers save time while providing personalized learning experiences.
How is it used?
Educators can input their content, and Quizizz AI generates multiple-choice or open-ended questions. The quizzes can be embedded or used directly on Quizizz with real-time feedback and various modes.
What is it used for?
Quizizz AI is ideal for creating engaging assessments, adapting content to student needs, and supporting differentiated instruction.
For more information, explore Quizizz AI.
Without a PIA, instructors cannot require students use the tool or service without providing alternatives that do not require use of student private information
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.
-
Assessment Design using Generative AI
Generative AI is reshaping assessment design, requiring faculty to adapt assignments to maintain academic integrity. The GENAI Assessment Scale guides AI use in coursework, from study aids to full collaboration, helping educators create assessments that balance AI integration with skill development, fostering critical thinking and fairness in learning.
-
How can I use GenAI in my course?
In education, the integration of GenAI offers a multitude of applications within your courses. Presented is a detailed table categorizing various use cases, outlining the specific roles they play, their pedagogical benefits, and potential risks associated with their implementation. A Complete Breakdown of each use case and the original image can be found here. At […]