What artists need to know about AI
Free learning sessions on Tuesdays 14th & 28th January
10:30am-12:00pm, Online via Zoom
Everyone’s talking about Artificial Intelligence - but what does it mean for you as an artist?
AI is already having an impact on the creative industries in Scotland. Earlier this year SAU aligned ourselves with DACS’ Visual Arts Manifesto and recommendations to the UK Government. Lobbying to ‘include visual artists’ needs in solutions for robust regulation of AI that complies with copyright law and incentivises human creativity whilst providing artists with consent, control and compensation for use of their works in AI training and applications.’
This two part learning course has been developed in response to a member’s survey on AI that was circulated in September/October and aims to give you the opportunity to learn and explore AI tools in a safe environment. We’ll explore the ethical issues of using AI, covering topics like intellectual property, environmental impact, and possible misuse. Is it possible to use AI tools in an ethical way? And how can you protect your own work from being exploited?
We’ll focus on “Generative AI” tools - these are creative apps that can be used to create text, songs, poems, short stories, images, sounds, and music. This course will look at how AI might assist as a creative tool, helping you understand its possibilities, limitations, and ethical implications. We'll show you practical ways to experiment with these tools in a safe and responsible way.
This course is designed by Digital Skills Education and aimed at AI beginners as a practical introduction. You don’t need to be a technical expert to take part as the course is written to be jargon-free and easy to understand.
Tuesday 14th January, 10:30am-12:00pm
Part 1: (90 mins)
Discover how Artificial Intelligence apps work;
Learn about the most popular and powerful Generative AI tools used by artists including DALL·E, Midjourney, Co-Pilot Designer;
Discuss the ethical, safety, and transparency issues surrounding AI art and tools;
Get advice about protecting your work, and understanding what artists can do to avoid being exploited or replaced by this technology.
Tuesday 28th January, 10:30am-12:00pm
Part 2: (90 mins)
Get hands-on experience and rapidly experiment with Generative AI tools;
See how other artists are using AI tools in their practice;
Take home practical examples to use in your artistic practice, as well as resources to support ethical AI use;
Find out how AI can help with other tasks like research, funding applications, and newsletters.
About the Tutor
The workshop is led by Craig Steele, a project partner in Bridging Responsible AI Divided (BRAID). BRAID is a UK-wide research programme funded by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), led by the University of Edinburgh in partnership with the Ada Lovelace Institute and the BBC. BRAID aims to bring together researchers from across the arts and humanities to drive responsible use of AI.
To Book
This session is funded by Scottish Union Learning and we need you to complete these two forms in advance - please note you need to input the course name 'AI for Artists' and the reference number H106.
We will circulate a Zoom meeting link on the 7th January 2025, so please don't worry if you haven't receive any notification before then.
