From code to community: How one CIC instructor harnesses AI for good
Marcia Purday doesn’t renounce AI, she embraces it. She is using her love of technology to teach...
As AI changes the world around us, we’re transforming the way we work and think at CIC. Putting our school – and our students – at the forefront of it all.
Created with AI
Our AI expertise is growing greater by the day.
With substantial investments that include hyper-trained faculty, developing our own AI-related intellectual property and coursework, and a stream of data and analytics from our Social Media Insights Lab, we’ve got the aptitude to go along with the algos.
See what's underway - and how you can be part of it - below.
Artificial Intelligence in the CIC
00:00:06:05 – 00:00:29:18
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I’m a junior majoring in visual communications at the University of South Carolina. Actually, I’m Julia Spease, and she’s my AI avatar. What do you mean? I’m the real Julia? I don’t think so. Well, you got me here in the College of Information and Communications. We’re learning a lot about artificial intelligence. Let’s work on the same thing. So I want to see you guys work together to create images.
00:00:29:18 – 00:00:55:10
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Over the next about 20 minutes we have left and less. This is Professor Jason Porter, and this is my class in visual communications. We are using different AI tools to create monsters. The assignment was super fun and challenged our creativity. This was an exercise on teaching students to control AI. Jason Porter once won awards creating designs and animations for clients like Disney, target, and Volkswagen.
00:00:55:13 – 00:01:16:11
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He is now winning awards for teaching excellence. If our students are coming into the workplace saying, well, I know how to use it and immediately sets them up to be folks who are on that cutting edge, that can influence how the future of that organization is going to work. When it comes to integrating AI into instruction, it’s an imperative.
00:01:16:13 – 00:01:37:00
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Tom Reichardt is dean of the college. He understands that students today use AI but don’t always understand it. That’s why all first year students in the college must earn a certification from IBM. It’s a certification most of the faculty hold as well. AI’s really in its infancy. I can’t I can’t really imagine what it’s going to be like next.
00:01:37:02 – 00:02:03:23
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Dean Reichardt practices what he preaches in his advertising class. He explains how AI can use data on what we view and buy. Take that. Put AI to analyze it quickly. It can personalize almost instantaneously any message that you receive. All students at the university have access to an upgraded version of ChatGPT, and they are encouraged to use it on the USC campus.
00:02:04:00 – 00:02:09:14
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Learning about artificial intelligence is a priority.
00:02:09:16 – 00:02:45:15
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Davis College, home of our sister School of Information Science, has the AI and Artificial General Intelligence Lab. Here, students investigate how AI search results affect the way we think about issues like weight loss. Professor al-Amir Novin oversees the lab. They are learning about cognitive biases, which is something that’s very related to cognition and psychology, as well as learning about how artificial intelligence works and just the dynamics that go between how do we have this robotic brain versus how it affects our biological brain?
00:02:45:17 – 00:03:08:17
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The AI lab is used by students from the CIC and other colleges. The goal is to share knowledge and expertise with the campus and beyond. Another example was call for code, a partnership with IBM. The workshop brought together students from USC and 13 other schools. At the Alumni Center, we helped bring AI insights to the Columbia business community.
00:03:08:19 – 00:03:38:18
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Yes, I heard it. Yes. Google provided the trainer showing how AI can work for you. Learning about AI is important for South Carolina’s future. So we are taking AI instruction on the road to USC salsa and other Palmetto College innovation labs. Everybody, I am Glen Caruso and I’m here from the University of South Carolina. In this free session, participants receive hands on instruction relevant to their lives.
00:03:38:20 – 00:04:04:15
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The use of AI transcends South Carolina to the college tracks public opinion about it. Unesco included our research in this prestigious report on freedom of expression. When I look at peer and aspirin institutions and what people are doing across the country, we are light years ahead of them in terms of understanding AI. Getting our faculty involved, making sure it’s a priority for students.
00:04:04:15 – 00:04:28:14
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We want to make sure that the students know how to use AI when they graduate. We want to also do the research piece so that we understand the ethical considerations of AI and its use, while also providing service to the citizens of South Carolina. In the College of Information and Communications. We are indeed turning technology into opportunity. I’m Julia Spiess.
Leading the AI Revolution: Faculty and Staff Expertise
Our faculty and staff are at the forefront of the AI revolution! By integrating AI into both our personal and professional lives, we underscore our commitment to the importance of AI education for our students. Demonstrating this dedication, the majority of our faculty and staff are IBM certified in AI Fundamentals. This enables us to understand AI’s strengths and limitations. As a result, our students benefit from cutting-edge knowledge, and our research advances the field.
Preparing Innovators: AI Education Beyond the Classroom
Our students are the future, and we must equip them for an AI-driven world through rigorous coursework and hands-on projects. They embody innovation, using algorithms to create compelling digital stories. Their projects solve complex problems and revolutionize information sharing. This preparation ensures they become ambassadors of a technologically advanced society. We support their growth by providing free access to cutting-edge AI tools like Adobe’s Firefly, empowering them to produce AI-enhanced content and become leaders in their fields.
Pioneering AI Research: Advancing Knowledge and Understanding
Our research initiatives are at the forefront of AI, communication, and information. We explore machine learning and data analytics to create research that computes and communicates. We transform data into impactful narratives that enhance understanding. Our faculty publish cutting-edge, peer-reviewed research on AI’s effects on diverse groups, from consumers to library patrons. They lead global AI ethics councils and direct college labs, immersing students in AI-related research and fostering a new generation of informed, innovative AI scholars.
Driving Excellence: Community Engagement and Professional Partnerships
Our college’s commitment to excellence in AI is strengthened through partnerships with esteemed companies like IBM, Chernoff Newman and others. These collaborations integrate AI with communication and information practices to elevate academic inquiry and practical application. Our collective efforts foster meaningful societal advancements. A recent grant from South Carolina allows us to provide training for citizens and small business owners, helping them harness the power of AI. This contributes to broader community growth and innovation.
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Our graduates are the future leaders in the fields of communications, data and civic engagement. Even in the earliest days on campus, students work to solve social concerns and drive innovation that shape the future of information and communications in a hyper-digital world.
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