AI – tool, threat or teammate?

Artificial intelligence is everywhere, checking health screening results, parsing large data sets and sometimes controversially writing news articles.

The most controversial applications of generative AI tend to be in areas like education and the media, where accurate, trustworthy information is so important.

This year’s AI + Communication Symposium, held at AUT on 11 September, will investigate generative AI’s role as a threat, tool or teammate across the following themes:

• The transformative role of AI
• Reimagining assessment and design thinking
• Shaping the future of innovation, work and research
• AI and its impact on communication industries
• AI and creative processes

The symposium kicks off with a keynote address from Sarah Coward (CEO, In The Room). Coward is passionate about using technology to inspire audiences with human stories. She established In The Room to enable people to connect with remarkable people from all walks of life – integrating voice recognition and machine learning techniques to allow you to have conversations with people you will never get to meet.

Organiser for the symposium, Associate Professor Angelique Nairn, says distinctive applications for generative AI are driving development. “Generative AI development is outstripping Moore’s Law of technical progression. In the face of rapid commercial developments, our researchers are drilling down into their areas of expertise, examining the ways generative AI can be a tool, threat or teammate – or some combination of all three – in their sector.”

“We look forward to welcoming a wide range of people to the symposium.”

Following the day’s sessions, Hemant Gaule from Mumbai’s School of Communications and Reputation will give a keynote address.

Programme

• 9am: Karakia + Opening
• 9.10am: Keynote: Sarah Coward (CEO, In the Room)
• 10am: Morning Tea
• 10.30am-11.30am:
  Session 1: The transformative role of AI (Session Chair Michael Bain)
  • Professor Tania Ka’ai, Dr Parma Nand & Huhana Moselen
    AI: Tool, threat or teammate in the revitalisation of te reo Māori
  • Associate Professor Sarah Baker
    Navigating the AI Era: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Enhancing Professional Practice in Higher Education
  • Associate Professor Dilani Gedera and Chris Griffiths
    Enhancing Educational Outcomes through AI Collaboration: The Noodle Factory Gen-AI Project
• 11.30am-12.30pm:
  Session 2: Reimagining assessment and design thinking (Session Chair Rachel Daniels)
  • Associate Professor Rosser Johnson
    Back away from the written: AI and assessment
  • Professor Charles Walker, Dr Dermott McMeel & Surendar Jayachandran
    Will humans replace AI? A Design Dilemma
  • James Smith
    A Creative Black Box? Exploring Generative AI in Interaction Design Education
• 12.30pm: Lunch
• 1.15pm-2.15pm:
  Session 3 Shaping the future of innovation, work and research (Session Chair Hazel Abrams)
  • Dr Hossein Najafi
    From algorithms to artistry: a comparative exploration of heuristics in AI and creative inquiry
  • Dr Matthew Guinibert
    Leveraging AI for Thematic Coding and Clustering of Images
  • Associate Professor Tony Clear and Associate Professor Alison Clear
    An update from an international working group on the impacts of AI for IT professionals
• 2.15pm-3.15pm:
  Session 4 AI and its impact on communication industries (Session Chair Sarah Baker)
  • Associate Professor Angelique Nairn, Justin Matthews and Daniel Fastnedge
    The Role of AI in the Creative Processes of Advertising Agencies: Industry Perspectives and Concerns
  • Dr Louise Matthews
    AI in journalism – might it replace reporters and news editors? A look at experiments and wider concerns.
  • AD Narayan, Dr Duncan Caillard, Justin Matthews and Associate Professor Angelique Nairn
    Exploring the Influence of Artificial Intelligence on Visual Effects: Industry Insights and Future Prospects
• 3.15pm: Afternoon Tea
• 3.30-4.10pm:
  Session 5: AI and creative processes (Session Chair Angelique Nairn)
  • Dr Jason Kennedy
    The role of AI in reshaping our understanding of narrative performance
  • Amir Aziz Sarajy
    AI and democratisation of film-making, Hollywood for everyone

• 4.10pm: Keynote: Hemant Gaule (The School of Communications & Reputation, Mumbai India)
• Closing Karakia

Registrations are open now for both in person and online attendance.

Useful link

• Study Communication Studies at AUT