Thursday, April 30, 2026

Zhuzhing Up the AI

Tuesday. Graphic arts. Fifth period. 

The day's assignment: using Canva's AI, create a poster picturing the student in a future career. And then include information about that career. 

(I'm not a fan of AI. And many students have expressed their dislike as well. The word on how the data centers steal resources has gotten out. But this is not my class, and my job is to execute the teacher's lesson plan. So, that's what I did.) 

Some of the students dove right in, finding the right site and application. Most did not like that they had to upload a picture of themselves (as the AI would insert them into the career image), but they did it. (Well, not everyone. A bunch of them did as little work as possible. I'm sure their grades already reflect their lack-of-work-ethic.) 

I walked around, making sure the students didn't have any questions. 

One boy was staring at his image. It had him as an electrician. He didn't like it, he said. 

I drilled down. What was the problem with the image? What could he tell the AI to do differently? 

Turned out, the background was pink, and that was his only problem with it. 

We found where one could "refine" the image by telling the AI what to change. He typed "get rid of the pink", and I pointed out he should be specific, so he added "make it white". 

The AI replaced the pink background with a white one, changing nothing else. And the student was satisfied. Okay, then. 

It was kind of eerie how the AI took their faces and put them into a real-looking work setting. This would be a great way to help students see a future that they might not be able to picture. But AI? Ugh. 

Have you made images using AI? Did you complete the A to Z Challenge? Do you plan to attempt it next year?

Today's A to Z Challenge post brought to you by the letter...

6 comments:

  1. I, too, am not a fan of AI. Although, I suspect that it's due to my old man "get off my lawn" kind of way. I do know the data centers have gotten a lot of bad press.

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  2. I do not use AI for images and will not, but then I do have something of a good eye for design. Having seen what other people design who don't have that gift, some of the AI usage in that manner is understandable. But the training of them has been unethical. Yes to the compete. Yes to next year (see you then). Happy Zed day.

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    1. Yeah, the whole unethical training bothers me, too.

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  3. I don't use AI for images. Oh, I did once. A prompt for my favorite museum, but it had been remodeled since I'd been, with no postcards. I had Copilot make me one, and did include that in the post. I do use AI, Copilot again, nearly daily though, for researching images and background information on various thrifted items, and stamps. Dates of issue etc. I did all my A to Zs! I will do it next year, but only with one of my blogs. It is too much time and work to write 26 poems that for the most part get zero views, or lots of views and zero comments. I get to do a guest post on the A to Z site!

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    1. Sorry your poetry site didn't get any comments. I never did make it over there. Researching images is much easier with AI, yeah, I can see that.

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  4. AI is a whole new world for sure. It will be interesting what we say about it 20 years from now. Like other technology, it's here to stay whether we like it or not.

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