Please keep in mind that new technology like Generative AI (Gen AI) shouldn’t simply make your thinking or work easier, much less take the place of the uniquely singular abilities of human beings to grow cognitively, think creatively, or evaluate critically. If you use Gen AI to simply avoid work, you are doing it wrong. Instead, using Gen AI in the spirit of Douglas Engelbart’s “augmenting human intelligence” and Donna Haraway’s configuration of the cyborg point the way to beneficial heightening of human possibility instead of harmful erasure of the cognitive distinctions of humanity. If you use Gen AI, use it wisely and use it well. This post is the first in this series.
Generative AI (Gen AI) offers a fascinating tool for brainstorming. It can be used as a kind of digital muse to spark ideas and explore concepts. By inputting keywords or questions, students can generate a list of possibilities and then narrow down those options to a topic that resonates with them.
However, the real value of AI in brainstorming lies not in replacing human creativity but in expanding it. Entering into a dialog with Gen AI, students can use the conversation to uncover angles or connections they might not have considered on their own. Then, taking the leads uncovered through brainstorming, the student gains keywords and concepts that they can follow up on through their campus library’s catalog and databases.
This collaboration between human curiosity and AI’s analytical power creates a cyborg-like synergy, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Today, students are becoming cyborg writers by using generative AI to enhance their creative processes. This collaboration doesn’t replace human creativity but amplifies it, offering a digital lens to view ideas from fresh perspectives.
Though, AI should be seen as a catalyst, not a replacement, for human imagination. By embracing this hybrid approach, students can harness the best of both worlds to do more with this new tool.
