Think AI is just about magic prompts and cool images? Think again.

As we kick off our three-part series on AI Media Literacy, we’re peeling back the curtain on the technology reshaping our digital world. Before we learn to build with AI, we must understand the footprint it leaves behind and the reality it alters. In this first 90-minute session, we’ll move beyond the hype to tackle the “heavy” side of generative AI media.

We’ll dive into the high environmental costs of AI media with a presentation by Shane Stennes (UMN Office of Sustainability), and we’ll offer a brief introduction of additional critical ethical topics that will be discussed throughout the remaining sessions. This session is aimed at interested undergraduates, graduate students, staff, researchers and faculty from a variety of disciplines.

What We’ll Cover:

• The Carbon Cost: Understanding the physical and environmental impact of the AI revolution.
• Ethics in Practice: How to use these tools responsibly in an academic and professional setting.