by Sarah Bender
On Monday, March 31 and Tuesday, April 1, the Libraries is hosting a two-day, hands-on workshop designed to introduce attendees to frameworks for applying AI responsibly and effectively. Undergraduate and graduate students from across campus are invited to register to attend, whether they are already involved in building their own AI, or are simply interested in exploring AI opportunities in the future.
The workshop, taught by Data Education Librarian Emma Slayton and Nikolas Martelaro, assistant professor from the Human-Computer Interaction Institute, aims to help members of the CMU community better understand both the opportunities and hazards of using AI to solve real-world problems.
“This is an opportunity for students and researchers across disciplines and levels of expertise to dive into key aspects of AI literacy,” Slayton said. “I’m excited for another chance to engage with our community members about this rapidly evolving, increasingly prominent field.”
One topic the workshop will cover is understanding users who interact with AI technologies. Attendees will take a moment to consider what they might need as a user of a product. From there, they’ll imagine both who they need to keep in mind when building a new technology — and what the creators of existing tools may be trying to say to you when you engage with their products.
Other subjects include finding AI applications that deliver value, considering what kind of data is used in AI systems and how it impacts outputs, and analyzing risks and safety of AI applications. Participants will receive a certificate for completing both sessions of the workshop.
Yi Luo, a Master of Design in Design for Interactions student in the College of Fine Arts, attended a previous session of the AI Literacy workshop. As a design student, Yi is interested in exploring how AI is integrated into creative workflows. Her research examines how AI tools shape designers’ thought processes, decision-making, and creative autonomy, and she aims to develop frameworks and experiences that empower designers to critically engage with AI rather than passively adopt its outputs.
“I think it’s important to highlight that AI literacy is not just about knowing how AI works but also about questioning its role in shaping creativity, decision-making, and culture,” she explained. “The workshop underscored the importance of designers having agency over how they use AI, rather than being led by AI’s default behaviors. Encouraging interdisciplinary discussions — such as those at the workshop — helps build a more nuanced and critical perspective on AI’s impact.”
During the workshop, hands-on activities gave Luo the opportunity to apply AI frameworks to design and ideate AI-powered product concepts. She was able to see firsthand how AI principles can be translated into design decisions and real-world applications.
“As someone without a technical background, I found it empowering to better grasp how AI works beyond just the algorithms — understanding aspects like data, bias, and user interaction that are just as vital,” Luo said. “The workshop also helped me see the many ways I can contribute to AI-related projects from a design perspective, reinforcing that AI literacy isn’t just for engineers but for anyone shaping the future of technology.”
In the future, Slayton hopes to offer additional community sessions of the workshop that engage local nonprofits. She’s working to create opportunities for students to join these sessions and explore what kinds of needs for AI technology exist in the community.
“There are two goals when it comes to further engaging the community,” Slayton explained. “First, we have a lot of really capable and smart students working on developing AI — it will provide a great chance for them to directly engage with their user base and understand how real-world people are leveraging AI in their daily lives.”
She added, “Additionally, groups looking to enact change locally often have limited resources. Exploring AI built by students could be a great opportunity for groups to leverage tools relevant to their important work.”
For next month’s workshop, though, attendees can expect to engage with fellow CMU students across disciplines, exploring how to critically engage with AI tools and outputs, as well as how to better understand when to work with AI.
Experience building AI is not required to attend the workshop. However, attendees should have some familiarity with an AI tool of some kind — including anything from computer vision to ChatGPT.
To register for one of 35 available slots, fill out this application form. Attendees should bring their laptops, and make sure to have an account for at least two of the following: Copilot, ChatGPT, or Gemini.
