The Daily Mississippian October 5th, 2023

IS AI COMING FOR YOUR JOB AFTER GRADUATION?

Artificial intelligence is changing the game. In this special edition of The Daily Mississippian, industry professionals, UM professors and students weigh in on how AI might affect the workforce and our academic institutions.

thedmnews@gmail.com

The age of artificial intelligence is here, and people are getting nervous. While ChatGPT and other word-processing AI systems are a source of moderate entertainment for consumers today, their inevitable integration into the workplace is estimated to shift 85 million jobs globally into new fields such as machine learning, data security and digital marketing.

But what does this mean for you? Professors and students from various departments at the University of Mississippi shared their thoughts on what a future career with AI might look like.

Yixin Chen, chair and professor of computer and information science, shared that he views AI as “a dynamic tool capable of enhancing our abilities, optimizing workflows and providing groundbreaking solutions to intricate challenges.”

Chen predicts that AI will revolutionize several industries, bringing with it new employment opportunities.

“The ramifications of AI on employment are nuanced. It undoubtedly threatens to revolutionize certain industries, particularly those centered on routine tasks,” Chen said. “However, it simultaneously births unprecedented opportunities. A prevailing senti -

ment is that AI will transform the essence of numerous professions, not necessarily obliterating them.”

Chen specified that AI cannot operate alone and will still need humans for some of its most complex tasks.

“While its prowess in data-centric tasks is indisputable, realms demanding empathy, inven

tive flair or discerning judgment might invari

ably require the human element,” Chen said.

This is a common view of many professors and students alike. Emily Steele is a third year law student. On the cusp of entering the professional world herself, Steele does not believe AI could ful

fill the many interpersonal aspects of the legal field.

“I would be afraid of AI in a way, but I think there are a lot of things in the legal field that AI couldn’t do,” Steele said. “The personable aspects of the job it couldn’t do. It could probably take over drafting but not necessarily litigation in the courtroom.”

Public Services Law Librarian and Professor Jacob Waldo echoed Steele’s view that AI could allow attorneys to work more efficiently, cutting down time on writing and research.

“There is some concern for how it would affect paralegals and some smaller aspects of what lawyers do daily, but the deep analysis of the law would have to be done by people, at least for right now.” Waldo said. “Some people working with AI in the legal industry like Casetext have a tool called CoCounsel that can write legal memos, do research and other tasks. Some firms are already using that.”

The belief that AI lacks the ability to comprehensively reason and write, thus holding it back from replacing people in the job market, is commonly held in different fields.

Jacob Duncan, a junior journalism major, said that he believes that AI operates too rigidly to take over the field completely.

“I believe AI is too structured, unlike journalism that has many different viewpoints and arguments,” Duncan said.

Associate Professor of Journalism Instruction Vanessa Gregory thinks the biggest threat is misinformation.

“There is no doubt that journalists will find a way to use AI in ways that will enhance news gathering,” Gregory said. “I think the big threat is that it will play into the spread of misinformation and a media landscape in which the average reader and the journalist is less able to distinguish truth and fiction. It is going

to be a challenge for reporters to have to look at every single piece of media and not only worry that it might have been edited, but that it could just not be real.”

While Gregory thinks that AI will reshape the field of journalism, she also believes something sets the profession apart from AI’s capabilities.

“One thing that is really important to remember about AI as it exists now is that it exists on the internet while journalists exist in the world,” she said. “Some of the most important and best reporting happens with the traditional boots on the ground journalism. This is still the bright core of journalism — people going out and making observations about what’s happening in places. So, until robots have bodies, I am confident that we will still need traditional journalists and that journalism will at least, to some degree, function as it needs to.”

While AI is relatively new to the workforce and the university, it is poised to revolutionize both education and employment as we know them. Professor of Public Policy and Ethics Zachary Vereb expressed that institutions of higher learning must work to ensure that students of today are equipped for the AI world of tomorrow.

“I think we are facing a paradigm shift in education with the introduction of AI like ChatGPT, so we will eventually need to learn to adapt to it, along with our students who will likely be required to work with said AI in their professional lives,” Vereb said.

DENTON JENKINS

GRAPHIC: SEDLEY NORMAND / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

“The ramifications of AI on employment are nuanced. It undoubtedly threatens to revolutionize certain industries, particularly those centered on routine tasks. However, it simultaneously births unprecedented opportunities. ”

- Yixin Chen Chair and Professor of Computer and Information Science

“One thing that is really important to remember about AI as it exists now is that it exists on the internet while journalists exist in the world.”

- Vanessa Gregory

Associate Professor of Journalism Instruction

A UM student codes a project for their class on Oct. 3 in Weir Hall.

PRESTON COBBINS / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

Deepfakes: Can you trust everything you see online?

Ever wonder whether the person you were watching in a video was real? Deepfake technology is one of many new applications of artificial intelligence that manipulates thousands of social media users daily.

Andrea Hickerson has made it her object of study. As dean of the School of Journalism and New Media, professor of journalism and co-director of the new National Center for Narrative Intelligence, Hickerson has brought her work and research on deepfakes in the DeFake Project to UM.

“Deepfakes are audio-visuals generated or altered by artificial intelligence,” Hickerson said. “A ‘good’ deepfake is imperceptible to the human eye, meaning we can’t always trust what we see.”

Deepfake technology allows one to alter photos or videos of a person to make them say or do something that appears real, but is not. As such, deep fakes can be vehicles for misinformation or outright defamation.

Recently, a video was released of Tom Hanks promoting a dental company. The video turned out to be completely artificial — Hanks reported that he had nothing to do with it.

“Deepfakes have the abil-

ity to severely impact a person’s reputation if their image is used in a deepfake without their consent,” Hickerson said.

In a MIT Technology Review article, Rochester Institute of Technology graduate student John Sohrawardi noted that the damaging power of deepfakes is often leveraged against women in the form of revenge porn.

“Students, and historically women, are susceptible to artificially generated (deepfaked) revenge pornography through deepfaked face-swap videos,” Sohrawardi said.

Many students are unaware that deepfakes are an issue. Reagan Phalines, a freshman journalism major, expressed how she had seen deepfakes but was not educated on them.

“I knew it was kind of a thing, but I didn’t know the term for it and have only seen it in a form of entertainment,” Phalines said.

Hickerson began her work on deepfakes when she was a professor at Rochester Institute of Technology about five years ago. Her colleagues in the DeFake project included computer science and cybersecurity professors at RIT. The difference between traditional research on deepfakes and Hickerson’s is she and her colleagues are developing their work specifically with journalists in mind.

“We believe journal-

ists are essential to educating the public,” Hickerson said.

Her work focuses on integrating technology like deepfakes into journalism coursework so that students are experts in computing and technology.

Interim chair of the journalism department Michael Tonos said AI technology poses a learning curve for many journalists.

“As journalists, we are always taught to be skeptical of what we read, but rarely are we taught to be skeptical of what we see,” Tonos said.

Tonos and Hickerson believe learning about deepfakes is vital to students pursuing careers in journalism.

“It is critical that students going into public communication fields have enough technical and computing literacy so they can translate important information to the public,” Hickerson said.

As artificial intelligence technology develops and deepfakes with it, the risk of online manipulation will continue to increase.

“Verified information is critical for the public to make informed decisions. A deepfake could compromise that or it could manipulate a person’s attitudes or emotions,” Hickerson said.

When warning students about the validity of content shared on social media, Hick-

erson advised students to trust their intuition and do their own research to verify the video.

“Think about who shared it and why, and if you think something feels manipulated or off, take a moment to look for independent verification of the video,” she said.

There are currently no tools that are able to consistently and accurately identify deepfakes, as they

would constantly need to be updated as the technology progresses.

“Be skeptical of information from sources you don’t know much about and be open to the possibility that someone could be trying to manipulate you,” Hickerson said. “My door is always open to students interested in learning more about or doing research on deepfakes.”

UM and Edge Theory create Center for Narrative Intelligence

DALL-E and ChatGPT can paint an image or write an article instantaneously. Other forms of artificial intelligence can be used to analyze and condense ideas as well as create new ones. With the goal of analyzing how narratives in media evolve and affect the world, the University of Mississippi has partnered with artificial intelligence narrative analysis company Edge Theory to create the National Center for Narrative Intelligence, the first of its kind.

“Narrative intelligence refers to the process by which agents and actors utilize human intelligence and artificial intelligence to analyze the origins,

VIOLET JIRA editor-in-chief dmeditor@gmail.com

ZACH SPOONER managing editor dmmanaging@gmail.com

REESE ANDERSON copy chief thedmcopy@gmail.com

HAL FOX enterprise news editor thedmnews@gmail.com

ASHLYNN PAYNE news editor thedmnews@gmail.com

JUSTICE ROSE opinion editor thedmopinion@gmail.com

motivation, intention, influence, evolution and outcomes of narratives. Understanding how narratives emerge, evolve and affect the world is a mission-critical task,” center Co-Director Wes Jennings said.

Jennings, chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies, and Andrea Hickerson, School of Journalism and New Media dean and professor of journalism, spearheaded the effort to open the center.

Edge Theory utilizes AI to analyze narratives from various topics and show users what is trending in each category. The company, which is located at Insight Park at UM, contributes to the university community by offering various student internships to help students learn

CLAY HALE arts and culture editor thedmfeatures@gmail.com

CAROLINE MCCUTCHEN assistant arts and culture editor thedmfeatures@gmail.com

CAMERON LARKIN sports editor thedmsports@gmail.com

ASHTON SUMMERS photo editor thedmphotos@gmail.com

KENNEDI STANCIL assistant photo editor thedmphotos@gmail.com

about emerging technologies.

Narrative intelligence can be used to research the trends appearing within public media spheres, including journalistic information and misinformation.

“The center will equip learners with the necessary skills to pursue careers in narrative intelligence, offer expert advice to various stakeholders on understanding the risks and opportunities associated with narrative intelligence and recommend effective response strategies and contribute to the development of narrative intelligence, policies and innovation,” Jennings said.

Jennings described why Mississippi is the right place for this national center.

“The state of Mississippi and the University of Mississippi

ERIN FOLEY LIBBY FLANAGAN design editors thedmdesign@gmail.com

SEDLEY NORMAND visuals editor thedmvisuals@gmail.com

SAVANNAH SHOOK AVERY THOMAS social media managers thedmsocialmedia@gmail.com

WILL JONES multimedia editor dailymissmedia@gmail.com

AVERY WILLIAMS online editor thedmonline@gmail.com

specifically are ideal environments for taking a leading role in narrative intelligence given our storied expertise in crafting narratives,” Jennings said. “We have a unique mix of programs and enthusiasm for growing interdisciplinary cross-pollination with applied outcomes to help the public and students enter the workforce with cutting-edge knowledge and skills.”

Edge Theory CEO Joe Stradinger expressed his desire to make Mississippi and narrative intelligence synonymous and the importance of basing this national center in Mississippi.

“If you want to understand film, you go to L.A. If you want to understand banking, you go to North Carolina. If you want to understand tech, you

S. Gale denley student media center

LARZ ROBERTS Director of Student Media

DENNIS MOORE Editorial Director

ROY FROSTENSON Assistant Director/Advertising

OWEN PUSTELL Advertising Sales Manager dmads@olemiss.edu SALES ACCOUNT

Dylan Sheu Caleb Perkins Kendall Scott

go to Austin or San Francisco. If you want to understand the cognitive realm and storytelling and narratives, and how that impacts economies, wars and elections, we want to be that place,” Stradinger said.

Stradinger explained that Edge Theory fulfills an essential technological role in the partnership.

“The national center is very focused on research and workforce development, and so the lab Edge Theory is a technology partner,” Stradinger said.

Both Edge Theory and the NCNI provide the university and students opportunities to utilize AI in a positive way.

“AI is a very powerful thing. It can be used to make us better humans,” Stradinger said.

THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN EDITORIAL staff

Andrea Hickerson.

PHOTO COURTESY: UM SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND NEW MEDIA

Professors reckon with artificial intelligence

JORDAN ISBELL

Against the wishes of many professors, artificial intelligence has made its way into the classroom and hands of students. The current University of Mississippi policy for generative AI allows individual professors to decide how, or if, it will be used in their classrooms. Predictably, there is controversy over the potential of AI as a tool for academic dishonesty.

While many people believe students will take advantage of AI to do their work for them, others see it as a new and essential skill.

Chang-Won Choi, an integrated marketing communications professor, has a classroom policy that allows students to use AI for marketing projects but forbids its use for writing assignments.

“If (students) rely on Al tools when they write a paper, it might give them some kind of incorrect or inaccurate information, and they might not be able to improve their writing skills,” Choi said. “But when they create something new, then they might be able to get something new and different from their perspective.”

Choi believes that students need to learn how to use AI responsibly before entering the workforce.

“If after graduation they use AI tools to develop something new and to create advertising campaign websites, they have to know how to use it correctly and ethically,” Choi said.

Freshman biological science major Jayden Cochran believes that heavily relying on AI will limit a student’s creativity.

“AI should definitely not be allowed in classrooms,” Cochran said. “It devalues the human experience. I think that taking information and inspiration from AI will limit creativity.”

On the other hand, Kelsa Pellettiere, a graduate instructor for the Department of History, believes that AI can be a valuable resource if students do not misuse it.

“It’s much better for students if they use it to help teach them how to be better at something versus expecting it to do it for them,” Pellettiere said. “At the end of the day, you’re not benefiting from doing that anyway, and it’s going to hurt you in the long run. But, if students would use it to help teach themselves and

to tutor themselves, that might be quite useful down the road.”

Derek Bruff, visiting associate director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at UM, is aware of the recent developments in AI technologies and held a presentation at UM in August detailing the approaches faculty can take to regulate it.

“We have been trying to kind of share some of those findings and ideas with faculty so that faculty can feel more prepared to navigate the landscape and the choices that they have to make around these tools,” Bruff said.

While some may believe AI usage in the classroom is limited to cheating, Bruff detailed the types of AI tools he regularly uses, explaining how they help him with his job.

“Midjourney is an image generator that generates all kinds of images and illustrations, and I’ll use that in my presentations or blog posts sometimes when I need to illustrate something,” Bruff said. “There’s also a tool called Elicit, where you can give it a research question, and it will go search a huge database of journal articles and other scholarly sources that might help you answer

your question. I use that several times when I’m trying to find some more sources for something.”

Even if people disagree on how AI should be regulated, AI technologies will inevitably continue to progress, and educators must reckon with it in their classrooms.

“The rise of these generative

AI technologies means we do need to rethink how we assess students and what types of activities we give them,” Bruff said. “I think, as educators, we’ve got a responsibility to help prepare our students to navigate a world where AI is increasingly commonplace.”

UM’s AI task force adapts alongside constant technological advances

Artificial intelligence, specifically subsets of generative AI like ChatGPT, continues to be one of the most rapidly growing forms of technology which, if left to develop without guidance and understanding, can lead to catastrophic misuse of the tool.

Although there is no official school policy about AI in the classroom, the University of Mississippi has sought to combat misuse by forming a faculty task force to better understand how to both restrict and integrate the technology.

Composed of professors, data scientists, members of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and others, the task force analyzes research done in AI, determines what direction the university should take in response to AI advances and seeks grant and funding opportunities to further research and university programs.

Robert Cummings, executive director of academic innovation and associate professor of writing and rhetoric, chairs the task force.

“The goals of the task force are

to build community and raise the profile of UM’s work in AI and data science around the missions of teaching, research and grantmaking,” Cummings said. “The task force typically meets on a quarterly basis to highlight research in pure and applied AI or DS by faculty and students, update the community on policy conversations, facilitate professional development for faculty and students and share news about external developments that impact the university.”

Overall, the task force wants to promote positive use and understanding of AI and prevent it from fully automating the learning environment. Academic Innovation Fellow and Lecturer in the Department of Writing and Rhetoric Marc Watkins said that AI must be integrated into the academic setting carefully.

“I don’t want to see a future where students generate assignments and faculty use AI to assess them,” Watkins said. “Learning is above all a human endeavor, and we’re all going to need to consider how to ethically incorporate this technology so that it augments what we do, not replace it.”

One specific goal of the task force is to develop classes about AI and even potentially a major or minor in it. There are plans to add an emphasis in AI and data science in the digital media and data studies interdisciplinary minor. Cummings shared that the proposed emphasis could be available by the fall of 2024 and would include classes on AI fundamentals and ethics.

The task force also works to review faculty research on various aspects of AI as well as help integrate AI into the classroom when needed.

“There are many departments and individual faculty conducting research into many types of machine learning programs,” Watkins said. “I’ve helped lead the Department of Writing and Rhetoric’s efforts to integrate generative AI assistants into first-year writing courses.”

In order to facilitate this growth and take more action on campus, the committee must search for grants to support their efforts in researching AI and expanding programs related to its usage. Jason Hale, director of research development at the Office of Research and Sponsored Pro-

grams and task force member, explained that the recent increase in AI research has exponentially increased funding opportunities.

“There are at least 200 current or projected funding opportunities welcoming grant or fellowship applications in or around the topic of artificial intelligence plus countless more where AI is not explicitly mentioned but could be allowed,” Hale said.

Another goal of the task force is promoting professional development, which can help UM professors better understand AI and how to use it as a tool in the classroom environment. One example of this professional development is the AI Institute for Teachers at UM, which was held last summer.

“Participants returned to their departments with enhanced capacity in AI literacy to teach students AI fundamentals, evaluate AI-generated content and develop educational applications and policies that explored proactive approaches to generative AI,” Watkins wrote in a recent blog post.

By constantly staying updat-

Robert

AI use, especially surrounding use of generative AI technologies like ChatGPT in the classroom, the university as a whole is able to more effectively adapt to the industry’s fast-paced changes.

“I believe that the task force will meet more frequently and will take an even more active role in helping faculty and students

Cummings.

ChatGPT: invaluable learning tool or automated plagiarism?

It has been almost one year since the release of ChatGPT, a large-language model-based chatbot by artificial intelligence research group OpenAI. In its roughly 10 months of existence, the tool has gained more than 100 million users, becoming the world’s fastest-growing consumer software application — and a lightning rod for discussions around AI and plagiarism.

ChatGPT was created to be an all-around tool for tasks involving language — for example, the program can give in-depth explanations of different subjects and events to users, write essays and articles, write code or simply have a chat with users.

However, ChatGPT has only arrived at this advanced point thanks to its massive knowledge base: the internet. Every response that it generates draws from the preexisting words and ideas of countless people online. According to some, the responses generated by ChatGPT should therefore be viewed as somewhat unethical,ifnotoutrightplagiarism.

“When it comes to how most people use it, like trying to write original content, (ChatGPT) is going in the wrong direction,” freshman creative writing major Evelyn Barnett said. “The information and words it uses

are based on other people’s creations that were scraped off the internet somewhere.”

In particular, Barnett expressed concern for the availability of jobs within fields that revolve around writing, creativity and communication, citing the months-long Writers Guild of America strike as an example due to the demand to keep AI such as ChatGPT from replacing writers in the entertainment industry.

“I think there’s definitely a possibility that corporations will use AI like ChatGPT to write scripts or documents instead of paying employees or writers to do it,” Barnett said. “We’ve seen

it already with the (Writers Guild of America) strikes, and AI is probably only going to improve.”

While Barnett did recognize the usefulness of ChatGPT, she stated its benefits did not outweigh the cost of its usage.

“I do think there’s good ways to use ChatGPT, like proofreading and improving your own writing and coming up with prompts and ideas to work with,” Barnett said. “But I don’t think that kind of use is as common or substantial as the harmful ways people use it.”

To prevent such misuse — students manufacturing papers with AI rather than writing them themselves — some high schools

and universities have barred access to ChatGPT altogether.

While recognizing the potential for harm caused by ChatGPT, others believe it and similar AI software should simply be viewed as a tool — the damage done should instead be seen as caused by the society it is used within.

According to freshman social work and art major Milo Gildea, the question of moral usage of ChatGPT requires analysis beyond the scope of AI ethics.

“AI is a useful tool. It’s innovative, compelling and I think it’s wonderful that it was made,” Gildea said. “But the world we live in absolutely corrupts its uses for finan-

cial gain and exploiting workers.”

Gildea went on to explain his view that while intellectual property could protect artists’ income and livelihood, it is ultimately impossible to call any work truly original regardless of whether it was created by a human or by an AI.

“There’s the concept that AI has to pull from something preexisting and is therefore not an original idea, but we can easily say the same thing about our own minds. We all have to reference something else to create something,” Gildea said. “At the end of the day, I think calling ChatGPT and AI unoriginal stems from a corrupted view of originality.”

GRAPHIC: SEDLEY NORMAND / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

Will computers compose the next era of music?

LYDIA WATERS

“Heart on My Sleeve,” a song generated using artificial intelligence, has over six million views on YouTube. The track, which transformed vocals from an online creator to sound like vocals from popular artists Drake and The Weeknd, is a deepfake — it sounds exactly like something the pair could have made. The vocals, lyrics and cadence of the song are strikingly similar to those which are found in the artists’ actual music, however, the song was created without either of the artists’ knowledge.

AI, and the rise in its accessibility to the average person, has recently taken the music industry by storm. Through altering the existing voices of musicians, people are creating completely new songs and, in many cases, making a profit.

The use of advanced technology is not new to the music world. In the 1950s, computer scientists began to test the idea of letting computers create music. It recently has gained a lot of attention as AI technology has rapidly expanded in precision, clarity and originality, thanks to programs such as ChatGPT.

David Carlisle, instructor of music at the University of Mississippi and principal percussionist with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, believes AI could be used for good and bad.

“My concern is that most use of AI in the arts will be for monetary

gain, not a sincere effort in making great art,” Carlisle said. “But some use of AI will be sincere. I’m interested in genuine human production, and AI could cheapen that human aspect — the center of all the arts — for composers, performing musicians and the audience.”

A shift toward heavy AI use in music production could be detrimental to creativity.

“AI might sap away an artist’s creative output. I’m rooting for human artistic output,” Carlisle said. In a less controversial manner, AI can be used to suggest songs to listeners. Spotify uses AI to map a user’s listening habits, further using these statistics to make customized playlists for the user.

Songwriters and composers are also concerned about the negative impact AI may have on the music industry regarding their own jobs. A company does not need to remunerate AI for its output as it would a human employee.

“I think AI, if it gets further along, could seriously hurt musicians and composers, especially musicians and composers who perform and write for media,” aspiring composer Zachariah Mayberry said. “When all a director wants for their project is a certain musical mood and texture for a certain amount of time, are they going to spend money on a composer and potentially several performers, or will they simply use AI to generate a free musical track? For those who desire noth-

ing more than to consume music of a certain mood and style, AI will be their primary option.”

In the case of an AI generated song like “Heart On My Sleeve,” the creator, Ghostwriter977, made the beat, sound, notes and lyrics themselves. To get Drake and The Weeknd’s voices on the track, they had to sing their own vocal melodies and then use AI to mask their voice to sound like the singers. There were rumors that the song was being considered for a Grammy, but the CEO of the Recording Academy made it clear that was not the case.

“The Vocals were not legal-

ly obtained, the vocals were not cleared by the label or the artist, and the song is not commercially available,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said. Universal Music Group, Drake’s label, ordered a takedown notice of the song. They were too late to prevent its popularity with a curious public: It was uploaded on numerous platforms, such as Spotify, Apple Music, a one-minute clip on Tik Tok and Soundcloud. “Heart On My Sleeve” had over 600,000 streams on Spotify and 15 million views on TikTok before it was removed.

Despite the question of whether AI will consume music in the future, there are still people who believe that human emotions will persevere.

“I do think that there are still plenty of people interested in the element of interior human communication that only exists in music written and performed by human beings,” Mayberry said. “Those who listen and create for this kind of mysterious communion will never be satisfied with AI, even if they can’t tell the difference between AI and human music at first listen.”

Art students consider the future of digital art

impact the art world just like it will impact any industry.”

Rather than AI being used solely to create art, Sky Walters, a UM art major with an emphasis in graphic design, believes that it can be used as a source or a reference tool to figure out certain concepts such as color schemes.

“Pinterest and other sites give inspiration, so I think AI (generated images) can be used for inspiration,” Walters said.

Despite its potential and many capabilities, Eckert also points out that technology cannot achieve everything when it comes to art, and that human creativity will always triumph.

“What AI can do is amazing, but I believe we will always assign greater worth to human originality,” Eckert said. “A computer program cannot fully capture the nuance and emotion of a living being, which is an essential part of authentic artistic expression.”

AI is and will continue to impact different workfields and educational spaces. Walters explains that AI should be acknowledged in a new way in artist education.

ogy disruption, we need to pay careful attention to AI. It should become a tool in the toolbox, and it will become common in school curriculum. It will also evolve. Yet, we need to preserve what makes art so unique,” Eckert said.

Eckert believes that what makes art special actually comes from the perspective and vision from the artist.

“True art — whether that is a painting, a song or even a digital campaign that moves people — is judged for the unique vision of the artist and not for the time and labor it took to make it,” Eckert said.

Walters also explains that AI entering the art field is definitely on the minds of many other artists with the

concern of AI replacing tasks artists are capable of doing.

“I definitely think what worries me about (AI) is that, slightly, how advanced it’s getting,” Walters said. “I’ve talked to a bunch of different artists who are worried about this as well or have some concerns about it, quote unquote, ‘stealing jobs.’”

Eckert argues that despite technology’s growth it will never be a full-on replacement for human creativity.

“There is no real replacement yet for human originality, emotion, and vision. Artists will continue to influence society in amazing ways well into the future,” Eckert said. “AI, I think, will become another paint brush to use.”

As artificial intelligence comes into discussion in almost every career field and academic study, it makes sense that AI would infiltrate the world of the arts. Digital art is no exception.

Pete Eckert, who is an art major at the University of Mississippi with an empha -

sis in graphic design, sees AI as a tool that will inevitably impact every industry.

“To me, AI is a disruptive force which is both harmful and beneficial at once,” Eckert said. “Since we are only at the beginning of the AI wave, the significance of its impact hasn’t been fully felt. It will

“When it comes to education, I definitely think it needs to be emphasized that you can use it as a reference or a resource but not as the final product,” Walters said.

Eckert also thinks that AI will become another aspect of education but stresses the importance of what makes art amazing in the first place.

“Like any new technol

Principal percussionist David Carlisle performs with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.

PHOTO COURTESY: DAVID CARLISLE

Unnamed digital art created by UM art major Sky Walters.

PHOTO COURTESY: SKY WALTERS

New sci-fi film explores the complexities of AI

AARON BARROW

There is no denying the impact of artificial intelligence on our modern world. The film industry, more so than most, understands this quite well. While the use of AI in film is not a new development, the degree to which it is being utilized now signifies the rapid evolution of the digital world.

Films such as the “Terminator” franchise, “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and even this year’s “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” warn of the dangers of artificial intelligence on a grand scale.

Director Gareth Edwards’ latest film, “The Creator,” swiftly joins the ranks, although it may not be as one-sided as one would presume.

“The Creator” takes place in a dystopian future in which humanity is in a constant struggle against the forces of artificial intelligence. When ex-special forces operative Joshua is tasked with neutralizing what is believed to be the AI ‘s key to

ending the war, he discovers that the key in question is a young child. As the line between human and artificial blurs, Joshua must decide which side he is on.

In short, there is no real condemnation of artificial intelligence as a whole within this film; rather “The Creator” peels back the layers of the characters and the world they inhabit in a way that helps us sympathize with nearly everyone involved.

“The Creator” stars John David Washington and Madeleine Yuna Voyles. They carry the film marvelously and make for a compelling dynamic that reinforces the film’s thematic ideas quite well.

The themes in question are reminiscent of other films such as Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner” and its sequel. Both of those films, like Edwards’ latest, dare to ask what it means to be human and what separates artificial life from humanity. The questions posed are unanswered, as they should be, but make for an interesting discussion between the characters and, hopefully, audience members.

thedmfeatures@gmail.com

Artificial intelligence is no longer just the stuff of sci-fi movies: the rise of AI has become a subject of concern in the film production industry itself. AI usage impacts several facets of filmmaking, including screenwriting, casting, animation and visual effects.

Although public discourse surrounding the use of AI has increased in the last couple of years, artificial intelligence has been used for a long time in visual effects and animation.

One of the most recent instances of AI-generated visual effects is in Marvel Studios’ latest installment to their cinematic universe, “Secret Invasion,” a show featuring shots that used AI-generated images by Method Studios. The imagery in the show’s opening credit sequence reflects the plot of the show depicting an invasion by Skrulls, a shapeshifting alien species in the Marvel universe.

Since the release of “Se -

In an interview with Metro, Edwards showed concern for the way artificial intelligence has been applied to our modern world, specifically within Hollywood productions. Edwards references a scene in the film regarding donating your likeness to companies. As we all know, this is no longer a fictional em-

bellishment: It is our reality.

“And I now look like an idiot because I should have set it (the film) in 2024, as it’s come a lot faster,” Edwards said. “It’s shocking how fast this has happened.”

As a film, “The Creator” is a flawed but wondrously original science fiction epic that we rarely see nowadays. While rushed at

Lights, camera, AI!

cret Invasion,” fans have voiced their disapproval of this decision, possibly due to long-standing criticism of Marvel over its compensation of VFX designers and animators. These workers most likely view this as the studio’s way of cutting corners by hiring the lowest possible number of artists.

Akin to their Disney-owned sister studio, Pixar also utilizes AI, most recently in the film “Elemental,” an animated film about two polar opposite elemental creatures figuring out they have more in common than they think.

Neural style transfer, a kind of AI software that is capable of making an image, video or picture adopt the appearance or style of another, was used to create the unique look of fire for the film’s characters. NST takes the visual likeness of one subject and combines it with a specific style from an artist, whether it is original or taken from someone else. In the case of “Elemen -

tal,” the NST used the movements and volume of real fire merged with the style and textures provided by Pixar artists.

The “Lord of the Rings” trilogy used an AI software called MASSIVE that was developed for the film series. Created by engineer Stephen Regelous, MASSIVE wields the potential to spawn enormous crowds of people with specific purposes and behaviors. In the “Lord of the Rings” movies, the software was used to form the battle scenes.

MASSIVE has been used in various pieces of media over the years from commercials to music videos. Ironically, it was used in “I, Robot,” a sci-fi action movie about the lethal dangers of AI and robotics. It also has been used in “Avengers: Endgame” and the last season of “Game of Thrones.”

Although AI is a useful tool that has helped further the development of media and pushed the envelope of what is possible, many industry profes -

points and lacking fully fleshed out secondary characters, the film is a technical wonder, not unlike Edwards’ previous films.

Aside from its charm and fantastical imagery, the film dares to dig deeper, for better or worse, and that is something that must be commended.

sionals see its increasing presence as a threat to the long-revered humanistically creative elements of the film industry.

The Creator dives into the future of AI.

PHOTO COURTESY: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS

Pixar’s “Elemental” utilized AI to create Ember Lumen’s character design.

PHOTO COURTESY: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS

AI lends a hand to sports journalists

James, for example, but it will not give you its definitive opinion of who it believes to be better.

to base their opinion articles.

In an age when it feels as if life as we know it could soon be taken over by artificial intelligence, it is easy to assume that occupations requiring employees to write thousands of words a day could be replaced with AI.

However, the most important thing to remember in this discourse is that AI cannot function properly without humans giving it a basis of work. These machines need human intelligence to function, not the other way around.

To clarify, AI cannot compose original thoughts or ideas; it can only summarize and reword the information it has access to and the information humans prompt it with. Because of this, language-generating AI only has the capacity to write vague, objective content about events that have already been reported on.

In essence, an AI may have the ability to write an article about the pros and cons of Michael Jordan versus LeBron

Even with these limitations, AI has the potential to assist journalists in producing content more efficiently. While AI cannot write pieces that fans can really connect with, it can proficiently summarize well-known events.

Reporters can use this to their advantage. Surface-level research can now be summarized by AI in a matter of seconds, cutting the prewriting stage of composing in half.

The use of AI on the field could also boost reporting efficiency. In some facilities, companies use data analysis and movement tracking AI to pinpoint athletes’ strengths, flaws, endurance and even to predict injury.

At a high media coverage event like the NFL combine, for example, this technology could give a data-backed, objective breakdown of each player as he performs his tryout. Pair that information with a language generating AI, and reporters have a data-backed summary of each player on which

Moreover, with the rise of podcasts and independent commentators, it is clear that modern sports fans are looking for a new type of content about their favorite teams. While AI cannot write articles to satisfy this need, it can produce and suggest other types of media tailored to fans’ individual preferences.

AI can predict individual fans’ interests and suggest related content in ways that traditional website algorithms have never been able to before. Using this personalized prediction, AI can also organize highlight reels specifically curated for each fan’s personal viewing experience.

Sports reporting websites could also implement AI chatbots to answer questions for fans looking for singular, straightforward answers like the score of a game or the graduating year of a college athlete.

The best content comes from reporters who are excited to write. These AI implementations could ensure that sports journalists get

to focus on the complex, hard-hitting stories, while AI can take over the more basic information.

Contrary to the doomsday

What does the future of sports broadcasting look like?

Artificial intelligence has grown in popularity over the last couple of years, and it could become the new norm in live sports broadcasting.

It can enhance a broadcast by providing quick stats and facts about a game; however, it needs to improve before reporters and announcers can fully trust it.

Still, AI already has its uses. For example, according to Luna Wolfe, who works with and writes about AI for Medium.com, AI can produce real-time analysis, increase efficiency and improve accuracy.

From that list, real-time analysis affects broadcasts the most.

“This technology pro-

vides viewers with in-depth player statistics and game predictions, enriching broadcasters’ commentary and analysis,” Wolfe said.

Broadcasters can use AI to help keep track of in-game stats that humans might be unable to keep up with or remember accurately. Increased efficiency and improved accuracy have the most significant impact on broadcasters.

“AI’s automation of tasks such as highlight generation and real-time analytics frees up valuable human resources,” Wolfe said. “Broadcasters can allocate their time and effort to creating more engaging content, ultimately improving the quality of sports coverage.”

With AI, broadcasters can manage their time better. Humans can process only so much

information at once, leaving the door open for AI tools to fill in any of the gaps with information that viewers need.

“AI’s analytical prowess allows it to process vast amounts of data precisely beyond human capabilities,” Wolfe said.

The biggest concern sports broadcasters have about AI right is its accuracy. While Wolfe claims that AI improves the accuracy of information, Chase Parham thinks differently.

Parham is a writer and editor for Rivals.com who has used AI in many ways, including research for his podcast. He goes through many sources — such as newsletters, media guides and GOogle searches — to create outlines for his podcast, which runs five days a week.

After attempting to use

AI to take some work off his plate in the mornings, Parham concluded that AI “just isn’t good enough.” AI can track stats just fine, but when it comes to writing storylines and game recaps, it is too inaccurate for his liking.

Despite that, Parham recognizes that AI can benefit broadcasters.

From a broadcast standpoint, he said, “It’s ‘Hey, I’m running into things inside the quarter, I need this,’ and you ask AI.”

Situations like this happen far too often in sports broadcasting — casters needing information quicker than they can come up with it — to ignore some sort of AI tool.

AI can do a lot for stat-tracking, which helps broadcasters in the moment and after the

theories of an AI-driven death of journalism altogether, the art of sports journalism can, in fact, be supported with the help of AI.

games are over. Take the Ole Miss club hockey team, for example. During the 2022-23 hockey season, reporters were only able to track 85 stats per game completely with their eyes. This is a good number for human standards, but AI could expedite the process.

AI would have made those tasks significantly more manageable. AI could have tracked every stat for each game in a few short minutes. For reference, it takes humans several hours to complete in-depth, accurate and timely tracking for a game.

AI can be a handy tool for sports broadcasters. It can enhance broadcasts and save time for broadcasters. While it still has a ways to go before the broadcast community will trust it fully, AI may become more prevalent as it improves.

GRAPHIC: SEDLEY NORMAND / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

Man or machine: Which has a better Ole Miss versus Arkansas preview?

RHEGAN VANHOOZER

thedmsports@gmail.com

We compared our sports writer’s Ole Miss versus Arkansas preview article to one generated by artificial intelligence, and we noticed some glaring errors coming from AI. In the AI preview, the errors will be marked in red, and the corrections are marked in blue

Why are we doing this?

We wanted to find out how different, if at all, a preview article written by a human writer would be from one written by artificial intelligence. The Daily Mississippian writer was simply tasked with writing a preview for this weekend’s Ole Miss/Arkansas football game, while The DM’s sports editor generated an article employing AI.

We prompted Bard, which is Google’s AI chatbot, with the following statement: Generate a preview article (about 500 words long) for the Ole Miss versus Arkansas college football game this weekend.

From our experiment, we discovered that AI, in general, may not be the best tool to generate factual, real-time and cohesive articles. We found numerous factual mistakes in the AI-generated preview. We marked said mistakes within the article.

Human-written article:

Will the party in the Vaught continue this weekend?

Ole Miss versus Arkansas is always an incredible, unpredictable game.

In 2021, the No. 11 Rebels faced the No. 21 Razorback in what became ESPN’s No.1 game of the year. Though Ole Miss was favored to win, it just scraped by in the offensive showdown; the Rebels ended up winning 5251 in a Vaught-rocking thriller.

The same cannot be said about last year’s faceoff. Up in Fayetteville, Ark., what should have been a relatively easy win quickly became a downhill slide.

With rumors circulating about Ole Miss Head Coach Lane Kiffin leaving for Auburn, the Razorback student section ran with the opportunity and began chanting “Auburn, Auburn” over and over again.

Arkansas’ Donald W. Reynolds Stadium took the phrase “enemy

territory” to a whole new level. The Razorbacks were in the Rebels’ heads, and the team’s lack of focus and drive led to a 42-27 loss.

Excluding the 2022 blowout, Arkansas and Ole Miss have a history of close, high-scoring games; three contests in the last seven seasons were decided by only one point. In previous years, rankings and statistics have not played a huge role in predicting the outcome, so with this particular matchup, you never know what will happen.

After Ole Miss’ performance last week in its win over LSU, fans are feeling optimistic and looking forward to the game. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium was packed to the brim last Saturday, hosting a record-setting 66,703 fans.

The Rebel football team is looking for the same energy come time for Arkansas. If that holds, we could be looking at a game in which Ole Miss fans retaliate and get in the Razorbacks’ heads, like their team did to the Rebels a year ago.

Ole Miss will come in hot this weekend after lighting up the scoreboard for 55 points against the Tigers last week. Still on a high from their incredible performance in Week 5, the Rebels will be focused on repeating the result.

Rebel QB Jaxson Dart has never been more supported on offense, and it looks like he has finally stepped into his leadership role, taking the reins of this team and even putting the team on his back at times.

So far this season, Dart has gone 91-for-142 for 1,485 yards with only two interceptions and 11 touchdowns.

In the LSU game alone, he accounted for 439 total offensive yards and five touchdowns. The quarterback showed everyone just how much he wants to win, putting his body on the line numerous times to extend drives.

People had been not so patiently waiting for star RB Quinshon Judkins to finally have his breakout game, and he delivered in a big way against the Tigers.

Judkins had only 201 total rushing yards in his first four games this season. Last Saturday against LSU, he had 33 carries for 177 yards and two touchdowns. You could see the return to his freshman form, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Read rest on thedmonline.com

AI Headline: Ole Miss vs. Arkansas Preview: Rebels and Razorbacks Clash in SEC West Battle

The No. 16 Ole Miss Rebels will host the Arkansas Razorbacks at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi, this Saturday in a highly anticipated SEC West matchup. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

The Rebels are coming off a thrilling 55-49 victory over the LSU Tigers last weekend. The Rebels are now 4-1 on the season and are looking to keep their momentum going in the SEC West race.

The Razorbacks are coming off a tough 27-40 (22-34) loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide (Texas A&M Aggies) last weekend.

The Razorbacks are now 2-3 on the season and are looking to get back on track in the SEC West race.

Ole Miss Offense vs. Arkansas Defense

The Rebels have one of the most explosive offenses in college football. The Rebels are averaging 45.6 points per game, which ranks fourth in the nation.

The Rebels are led by quarterback Jaxson Dart, who has thrown for 1,567 (1485) yards and 15 (11) touchdowns this season. Dart also has 283 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.

The Rebels also have a talented group of wide receivers, led by Jonathan Mingo, Malik Heath, (Tre Harris, Zakhari Franklin) and Jordan Watkins. Mingo has 400 receiving yards and five touchdowns this season. Heath has 297 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Watkins has 252 receiving yards and five touchdowns. (All of these are last year’s stats.)

The Rebels also have a strong running game, led by Quinshon Judkins. Judkins has

452 (378) rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns this season.

The Razorbacks have a solid defense, but they will need to be at their best to stop the Rebels’ offense. The Razorbacks are averaging 29.6 (28) points allowed per game, which ranks 51st (73rd) in the nation.

The Razorbacks are led by linebacker Bumper Pool, who has 41 tackles this season. The Razorbacks also have a talented group of defensive linemen, led by Zach Zimos and Isaiah Nichols. Zimos has 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks this season. Nichols has 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. (All of these players are no longer on the team).

Arkansas Offense vs. Ole Miss Defense

The Razorbacks have a balanced offense that is averaging 34.0 (33.6) points per game, which ranks 38th (42nd) in the nation.

The Razorbacks are led by quarterback KJ Jefferson, who has thrown for 1,146 (1,050) yards and eight (10) touchdowns this season. Jefferson also has 248 (125) rushing yards and six (one) rushing touchdowns.

The Razorbacks also have a talented group of running backs, led by Raheim Sanders and Dominique Johnson (he is fourth on the depth chart) Sanders has 373 (76) rushing yards and five (two) rushing touchdowns this season. Johnson has 250 (41) rushing yards and two (zero) rushing touchdowns.

The Razorbacks also have a solid group of wide receivers, led by Matt Landers and Jadon Haselwood. Landers has 243 receiving yards and two touchdowns this season. Haselwood has

192 receiving yards and one touchdown. (Neither of these receivers is on the roster this year).

The Rebels have a good defense, but they will need to be at their best to stop the Razorbacks’ offense. The Rebels are averaging 23.6 (29) points allowed per game, which ranks 24th (79th) in the nation.

The Rebels are led by linebacker Troy Brown, who has 42 tackles this season. The Rebels also have a talented group of defensive backs, led by Keidron Smith and Ladarius Tennison. Smith has 29 tackles and two interceptions this season. Tennison has 25 tackles and one interception. (Tennison is the only player here still on the team, and his stats are wrong).

Key Matchups

Jaxson Dart vs. Bumper Pool (not on the team): Dart is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the SEC. Pool is one of the best linebackers in the SEC. This matchup will be key to the outcome of the game.

Jonathan Mingo vs. Jalen Catalon (neither is on either team): Mingo is one of the best wide receivers in the SEC. Catalon is one of the best safeties in the SEC. This matchup will be key to the outcome of the game.

Quinshon Judkins vs. Isaiah Nichols (not on the team): Judkins is one of the best running backs in the SEC. Nichols is one of the best defensive linemen in the SEC. This matchup will be key to the outcome of the game.

Prediction

The Rebels are the favorites to win this game, but the Razorbacks are a dangerous team. The Rebels have the more explosive offense, but the Razorbacks have the better defense.

I predict that the Rebels will win this game by a score of 3827.

Pick a side: AI in the classroom

DR. R.J. MORGAN

DAVID RAMSEY thedmopinion@gmail.com

A professor’s gripe

I remember sitting in my office last spring reading over student essays from my Journalism 101 class.

I had assigned them to read a short think-piece on why Americans have lost their faith in the news and then write a one-page reflection distilling their thoughts on the topic.

Most of them were quite good; it’s an important issue. But midway through the stack, I stumbled onto the work of a brilliant, well-written young scholar. The first few paragraphs made me sit forward in my chair. Insightful arguments, crisp verbs, wonderful sentence structure. The kind of paper that makes most of us professorial-types smile smugly and think, “My god, I must be the greatest instructor since Socrates.”

But then, as you may have guessed, I got to the following problematic passage in the fourth paragraph:

“As an AI language model, I cannot have personal opinions or feelings, but I can provide an analysis of the points made in this article...”

Yikes.

While AI can be a useful tool in academia, it should not replace the fundamental processes of learning and critical thinking.

When students present AI-generated papers as their own work, they undermine the integrity of their educational institutions and devalue the hard work of their peers while simultaneously crushing their awesome professor’s ego.

As a teacher at heart, it’s my job to show students that education is not solely about the destination (i.e., getting a degree) but also about the journey of personal growth, acquiring knowledge and honing essential skills like critical thinking, research and writing. AI eliminates these essential learning opportunities.

Furthermore, the skills developed through writing — such as research, analysis and communication — are crucial in today’s job market. By outsourcing the writ-

ing process to AI, students miss out on the chance to develop these skills, which are transferable and highly sought-after by employers.

In the end, there is no shortcut to true learning and personal development.

Oh, and P.S. — other than the anecdote at the top, this column was written by an AI language model. I was too busy grading AI-generated papers to hit this deadline.

A student’s dilemma:

Artificial intelligence has taken the academic world by storm by allowing students to complete writing assignments in seconds without a single thought.

At least that is what academia seems to believe. The idea that artificial intelligence may be ruining the creative mind and hindering the learning process are overstatements that discredit the technological and personal advances that this technology offers students around the world.

In a post-COVID-19 world, the learning process in academic institutions has been flipped on its head. Zoom classes, online tests and the deregulation of standardized testing have left students and professors in a tough spot where they’ve both had to quickly adapt to a new way of learning.

With these adaptations recently came the emergence of artificial intelligence.

This semester, I have noticed in many of my syllabi that teachers have strictly forbidden the use of artificial intelligence in any form while completing assignments. As a public policy leadership major, this makes sense, considering many of my classes require in-depth analysis and personal opinions regarding how new policies affect citizens. Students have been given the opportunity to have every problem or reading assignment fully explained in seconds giving students time to synthesize well-thoughtout arguments grounded in fact.

I place heavy emphasis on time, for I have only just a minute. As a student, time is among the most finite, valuable aspects of life. I

guess that’s true in many walks of life. Still, a full-time student at 15 hours is clocking around 45 hours of work a week if they follow popular study methodology. While that sounds ridiculous, we all know students who slave away days in pursuit of enlightenment — err…I mean a degree. Considering this, AI becomes a valuable asset to an individual with their hands full already.

I understand the fear that artificial intelligence will cripple the creative mind, but the creative mind is resilient. Similar fears in the academic world were shared when the internet expanded to a global force. The internet did not make people less creative; it made them more creative. Any idea a young person had could be put to the test with unlimited outreach to people around the world. Artificial intelligence will do the same. Students can be assisted in making their muses come to life with technology designed to help do away with the tedious rituals the creative must go through to get their idea across. Artificial intelligence is a tool; it is not humanity. Only humans can write profound pieces that connect to the personal experiences of others. Only humans can generate the works of Beethoven, Picasso and Mark Twain. Art and creativity are relative to the human experience, and a tool that instantaneously does away with the monotonous, tedious experiences of learning will not replace the students’ ability to grow and develop into a scholar.

The student who studies half-heartedly may use artificial intelligence as another way to do so. The student who uses artificial intelligence to further their education and make a statement to the world is one who supports the evolution of technology for decades to come.

R.J. Morgan is an instructional associate professor of journalism and director of the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association.

David Ramsey is a sophomore integrated marketing communications major from Madison, Miss.

The DEADLINE to place, correct or cancel an ad is 12 p.m. one business day in advance. The Daily Mississippian is published on Thursdays during the academic school year.

Classified ads must be prepaid. All major credit cards accepted. No refunds on classified ads once published.

The DM reserves the right to refuse ads that appear to offer unrealistic or questionable products or services.

To place your ad in The Daily Mississippian Classifieds section, visit: http://www.thedmonline.com/classifieds.

FOR RENT

HIGH POINT CONDO 2 bedroom / 2 bath. Gated, next to the pool. W/D includes water and garbage. No smoking/no pets. Available October 1. $1000 a month. 901 262-1855

Roseanne, once;

Goat’s milk cheese;

Trickery; 59- OPEC

member;

Baby powder; 61- Accumulation of fluids;

62- London gallery; 63- Ashtabula’s lake;

64- Baseball commissioner Bud;

65- The closest one to us is the sun;

66- Oboe, e.g.;

67- Satisfies;

DOWN

1- Aleutian island;

2- Advance;

3- Duration;

4- “Jeopardy!” name;

5- Breathe;

6- Evoke;

7- Terra ___;

8- Greek goddess of youth;

9- Submissive to authority;

10- Hoi ___;

11- Ostrichlike bird;

12- CPR experts;

13- Attention-getting sound;

21- Certain Ivy Leaguer;

28- Unfettered;

Sch. group;

Petroleum;

31-

33-

“___ Alibi”: Selleck film;

38-

39-

“You’ve got mail” co.;

Make haste;

Working gear of a draft animal;

More nasty;

46-

Period of history;

Contradict;

Seizures;

Quod ___ demonstrandum;

Parting word;

Fabled loser;

Notion;

Moolah;

Gallic girlfriend;

Badgers;

BRE’ANNA COLEMAN

thedmopinion@gmail.com

Technology is constantly evolving. Sliced bread, the wheel, the internet, the calculator and so on and so forth. Many assert that you must change and adapt to it. I disagree — my argument is that it is up to your discretion. That’s just the old hat I wear atop my head.

With everyone talking about AI and software such as ChatGPT, I am often left out of conversations, and I can’t truly connect with others regarding their usage of these resources. I have friends who use it frequently and others who use it scarcely. Meanwhile, I don’t use it at all, not one bit. When asked why I am so opposed to using things such as ChatGPT, I can’t give just one simple answer. My attitude toward these language models is this way for a multitude of reasons:

Integrity: Even in the most stressful times, I would rather do my work myself or fail an assignment. (I am not proud to admit how many times this has happened.) Beyond that, I find pride in the creation of my own work and ideas. Nothing

Why I don’t use AI

makes me smile wider than reading over an old essay, project or article and seeing the inner workings of my mind on paper.

Don’t get me wrong. Using AI as a resource can be conducive to scholarly work, but I simply prefer the Google search engine, library-digging and useless complaining method to complete work.

Affinity for learning: My second reason is my odd desire to learn and be able to critically think about whatever assignment I am completing. Even though many claim classes are useless, you never know when topics will come back up in conversation or when skills will be beneficial in future classes or even in daily life.

The purpose of some work in college is to teach one how to think critically about more complex thoughts and be able to create your own ideas. Now, I can admit that one may be able to learn while using AI or CHAT “GBP ” to complete assignments, but you never truly know if the information you’re getting is truly accurate or not.

In fact, these language models are often incorrect when used to research more complex topics

while being overconfident in presentation, ultimately misleading a user. In many cases, I have seen resources such as these become a crutch for students or people who have no desire to do the work.

Ignorance: My third reason is that AI is simply unknown to me. I spent my whole childhood with my head buried in books and digging through library shelves.

For me, using programs such as ChatGPT takes away the elements of learning that I love the most. It takes away the steps like the cloudy mind one gets before getting a great idea. It eliminates the frustration necessary to refine an idea into an argument. When I encounter these feelings while learning, I know to take a break, chat with friends or even go to the gym. Even people who know how

to use AI in small doses may end up exploiting the new path that makes things easier for students.

So, I avoid AI for many personal reasons. I like to wear my old hat, and I find true satisfaction when I reap the fruits of my dated academic approach.

Bre’Anna Coleman is a junior political science major from Drew, Miss.

Panic about artificial intelligence in higher education is unwarranted

Starting this school year, I noticed that every one of my classes had anti-artificial intelligence policies. So, if my classmates or I were to use AI in any assignment, we would have to let the professor know and take a substantial hit to our grades.

I can understand being concerned about AI. Its ascendance has been fast and sudden. ChatGPT had one million users

within its first five days of being available. For professors, AI poses the challenge of making cheating, especially on homework, much easier. Students can type in essay prompts, questions, or ask for book summaries and get results almost instantaneously.

What is the difference between using ChatGPT for a book summary versus SparkNotes? Or ChatGPT for a quiz answer versus Quizlet or Chegg?

I would argue that there is not

much difference. Schools had to adapt to the internet in the 1990s, and now students are encouraged to use the internet as a tool to learn more easily and to find resources. ChatGPT and other forms of AI can be used in the same way; if a student can learn more efficiently by getting ideas and answers quickly from AI instead of conventional means, that student should do so.

The aim of college should be to learn, not to “work hard.” Learning is still learning, no matter how convenient or streamlined the process is. In fact, that should be encouraged. As the saying goes, “work smarter, not harder.”

AI is growing in the real world. In fact, the commercial application of AI technology has grown 270% in the past four years. Students should be prepared to enter a work environment that utilizes AI. Bosses are not going to prohibit you from using tools readily available at your disposal

that could make you get more work done faster. In fact, I’d wager that they encourage it. Mastering AI is itself something worth learning.

Of course, I will concede that AI should not be used as a crutch. It should not be writing the whole essay or completing the full assignment. That’s cheap and inexcusable. This form of academic dishonesty is essentially plagiarism.

However, I think it is a great source to draw ideas and direction from. In my middle school and high school, math teachers banned calculators for a time. However, when students grow up, calculators are an integral part of learning complex mathematical concepts. AI should be used in the same way. This was the topic of an opinion article earlier this year.

We, at the University of Mississippi, are out of middle and high school. We, while still being guided by professors, should be trusted to use tools

just like we would a calculator. If professors are against AI, there is only one way to ensure that the rules are followed: Give students an old-fashioned pen and paper with a proctor. AI gives me another reason to be anti-homework. This could be an entirely separate op-ed, but excessive homework hinders students’ campus involvement and social lives. Students are in class for many hours each week, which should be enough time in itself to learn and be graded. It does not need a supplement. If professors were serious about academic integrity in an increasingly pro-cheating environment, class time would become much more sacred; it should be treated as a space where AI would have little to no use.

Cass Rutledge is a junior majoring in public policy leadership from Madison, Miss.

39579 Opinion Policies:

Columns do not represent the views of The University of Mississippi or The Daily Mississippian. The Daily Mississippian welcomes letters to the editor, which should be emailed to thedmopinion@ gmail.com. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. They may be edited for clarity, brevity and libel. Thirdparty letters and those with pseudonyms or no name will not be published. Letters are limited to one per individual per month. Letters should include contact information, including relationship to the university, if applicable.

3

LIBBY FLANAGAN / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN