AI Tools

The pace of change in the field of Artificial intelligence is so rapid that it is difficult to stay up to date. Information that is relevant and new today will be out of date by tomorrow lunch time. The only clear fact about the status and capability of the different AI tools is that they will not stay the same. In view of this, it is difficult to offer a commentary that will have any traction in the short term, let alone the long term. However, it is possible to use digital technologies to keep up to date with digital technologies. Some online sources publish well-researched and up-to-date information, and AI itself can provide a breakdown of what is available, which is constantly updated if not always up to date.

Online Databases

Here are two evolving databases which publish information about the range of AI tools that are available.

Creative AI Lab This database is an ongoing project to aggregate tools and resources for artists, designers, engineers, curators & researchers interested in incorporating machine learning (ML) and other forms of artificial intelligence (AI) into their practice.

FutureTools ‘Collects & Organizes All The Best AI Tools So YOU Too Can Become Superhuman’

Responsible Ai UK This programme will connect UK research into Responsible AI to leading research centres and institutions around the world. This will allow RAi UK to deliver best practices for how to design, evaluate, regulate, and operate AI-systems in ways that benefit people and society.

AI Research

AI chatbots are getting better. They can create a current list of AI tools that are relevant to education, and they can also provide an analysis of attributes such as strengths, weaknesses, costs, and safeguarding issues. This will be useful to teachers in deciding how to make use of AI.

Below is a prompt that can be used by teachers to identify and describe the most popular and useful AI tools used in the UK at any given time.  AI is never infallible and it would be sensible to run this prompt through two or more AI tools to get a more rounded view of the field.

This is a long prompt designed to provide information which is most relevant to teachers. However, it can be modified as necessary. It would be good practice to adapt the prompt and run it through different AI programmes rather than simply accept the first single response.  (In fact, it would be better to separate this prompt into separate prompts, one for teachers and one for students. ed.)

Prompt:

“You are to act as a senior teacher and IT specialist in a UK school.

I am an art teacher in a UK primary/secondary [delete as appropriate]. I am researching the potential uses of AI for both me as a teacher researching professional issues, and for my students to support their work in art and design.

Can you create two lists of the most popular AI tools in the UK. The first list is for AI programmes to support my professional work as a teacher. The second list is for AI programmes that generate images which may support my students’ work in art and design.

Each list should contain at least eight different AI programmes in order of usefulness. The programmes in each list should include AI programmes that generate written responses and those that generate visual images.

Please include a full description of each programme under the following subheadings: Benefits; Strengths, Weaknesses, Safeguarding Issues, Cost.

Your response should be related to the potential educational use of each programme.”

Click here to download a ‘zip’ file for the actual  AI response to this prompt in Word.

PS Google, YouTube and Podcasts.

Art teachers interested in AI are likely to be early adopters and will be familiar with researching using Google, YouTube and Podcasts, like this one from Art Ed Radio for instance.