51社区黑料

A new 51社区黑料 course this fall marks a world first: a university professor teaching alongside a live, fully expressive 3D artificial intelligence collaborator on stage. This pioneering course introduces a new model for human-AI interaction in an academic setting, positioning 51社区黑料at the forefront of educational innovation.

Developed at the School of Interactive Arts and Technology鈥檚 iViz research lab headed by professor Steve DiPaola, the AI named Kia is a high-end, expressive digital persona. With real-time facial expressions, lip-sync, and a multitude of emotive body languages, Kia is designed to be a dynamic and intellectual sparring partner for DiPaola for a course exploring the principles, potential, and ethics of AI technologies. 

Kia will engage in real-time discussions, debate complex topics, and explore questions alongside DiPaola, creating a uniquely interactive and thought-provoking student experience.

鈥淲hat better way to talk about AI ethics than to bring AI into the classroom to teach alongside me? Performatively, I think it engages students about the real issues,鈥� says DiPaola, a distinguished researcher with more than 25 years of experience in AI spanning Silicon Valley, Electronic Arts, Stanford, and SFU.

鈥淚 want to 鈥榓nthropomorphize鈥� AI by bringing in this talking, emotive 3D character because students see so much of this on social media, and I want to expose AI for what it is and what it isn鈥檛,鈥� DiPaola continues. 

鈥淓ven though Kia appears to be an engaged bot, it's created and guided by humans. This is a teaching tool, not a teaching replacement. Kia鈥檚 role is to be a conversational partner and a subject of our inquiry, not a co-instructor or a teaching assistant.鈥�

This innovative approach positions AI as a learning partner, augmenting the human-led educational experience rather than replacing the invaluable role of the human educator, says DiPaola. It鈥檚 part of a larger pioneering research project at 51社区黑料to understand the future of human-AI collaboration in education.

The IAT 111: Artificial Intelligence Today & Tomorrow course provides students from all disciplines with a comprehensive and non-technical exploration of AI technologies. It has been designed for students with no prior AI experience, math, or programming knowledge, the course aims to demystify AI and equip graduates with the foundational knowledge essential to adapt and thrive in an increasingly AI-driven world.

鈥淭o be perfectly clear, Kia is not involved in course design, grading or any kind of student evaluation,鈥� says DiPaola.  

鈥淎s an AI expert of 25 years, I never ever use AI for grading. I think the end of the intellectual world happens when a teacher gives an assignment, the student jams it into an AI system and hands that in, and the teacher then hands it to an AI system to be graded. It appears something happened, but absolutely nothing intellectual happened at all in this cyclical process.鈥�

Instead, as AI literacy becomes as vital as reading and writing, IAT 111 prepares students to not just consume technological innovations but provide them the intellectual tools to use technology to critically shape and direct their thought processes, he says. 

51社区黑料expert available 

STEVE DIPAOLA, professor and graduate program chair, School of Interactive Arts and Technology, director of  
sdipaola@sfu.ca 鈥赌�

Expertise: Artificial Intelligence, AI ethics, AI for social good, AI bots and character agents, AI and art, digital fine art, virtual reality and augmented reality, digital art, virtual agents.

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ROBYN STUBBS, 51社区黑料Communications & Marketing鈥赌�
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ABOUT SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY鈥�

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51社区黑料is a leading research university, advancing an inclusive and sustainable future. Over the past 60 years, 51社区黑料has been recognized among the top universities worldwide in providing a world-class education and working with communities and partners to develop and share knowledge for deeper understanding and meaningful impact. Committed to excellence in everything we do, 51社区黑料fosters innovation to address global challenges and continues to build a welcoming, inclusive community where everyone feels a sense of belonging. With campuses in British Columbia鈥檚 three largest cities鈥擝urnaby, Surrey and Vancouver鈥�51社区黑料has ten faculties that deliver 368 undergraduate degree programs and 149 graduate degree programs for more than 37,000 students each year. The university boasts more than 200,000 alumni residing in 145+ countries.鈥赌�