Wonderments & Curiosities

How are we complicit in problematic aspects of AI when using AI?

Whether addressing issues of equity and representation in AI to the ethical and pedagogical implications of generative AI for music creation, there’s a lot for us to work through.

Is your use of AI aligned with your ethics?

This semester we (at ASU) are required to include a statement in our syllabi that makes our policy on the use of AI explicit. We have autonomy on the policies we choose.

If any of you are addressing AI explicitly in your classes, I’d be interested in hearing how you frame AI in relation to student work and musical engagement.

I’m happy to share the statements in my syllabi and course guides to anyone interested.

This is a great opportunity to dig into some of the ethical implications of AI and how we might not be fully aware of what we’re doing when using AI.

A lot of the conversations on ethical use of AI tend to center around people using AI without citations to answer questions or complete work or how AI might replace humans in varied career scenarios.

That’s not what I’m referencing here.

One of the overlooked aspects of using AI is how we might be contributing to aspects of AI that don’t necessarily align with our own ethics and perspectives.

While the idea of being “complicit” might be a bit strong, especially in the context of current lawsuits, we should at least be aware of what we are doing when we choose to use AI.

Our responsibilities ?

Regardless of whether we (educators & students) include or address AI in our classes explicitly, we ought to support students in developing critical frameworks to think through ethical use and implications of AI.

But first, how often do you read the fine print of the applications you use?

Consider this encouragement to investigate how the applications you use are possibly using AI and what policies might be in place regarding your use of AI with these applications.

Consider:

How are you currently using AI?
What have you already consented to in relation to AI through the use of technology?
Which of the applications that you use are applying AI technologies with and without your awareness?
What are the AI and privacy policies of the applications you use?
If you are using AI, what information is the AI accessing on your end and what information is the AI accessing using to generate and return content to you?
For the AI you are accessing, what inputs did the people who created the AI use to train the AI?

With some answers to these questions in mind, we can delve a bit deeper.

To be continued in the next newsletter . . . .

Ideas & Inspirations

Do you listen to any music education related podcasts?

I finally updated my massive list of podcasts related to music education. There are currently over 50 active music education-focused podcasts and probably around the same number of podcasts that people are no longer updating but are still accessible.

I really enjoy listening to music ed podcasts, even the ones that focus on ideas and themes that I don’t necessarily agree with or find myself thinking “why?!” or “But, what if. . .”

Check out this list of podcasts. You’ll likely encounter an interesting idea, helpful suggestion, example to reference in your own work, a sense of where the field is at, or a prompt that you can riff on and spin into a new direction.

If you know of an active related podcast that has at least 4 episodes and isn’t on the list and you think it should be, let me know!

Sparks & Springboards

To spark ideas around having students become more aware of their sonic environments through sound walks and related initiatives, check out this set of writings on Soundwalking While POC from Sounding Out
Interested in resources for students creating music? Check out these Ear Opener videos designed to support composition efforts in learning settings.
Here’s an AI and podcasts combo for you: If you don’t already have a favorite podcast player, consider checking out Snipd. I love how easy it is to “snip” or grab a moment in the podcast, have it transcribed, and integrated with whatever note system you use (for me – anything I snip with the click of an airpod automatically syncs to Obsidian – so cool!)

Don’t Miss. . . .

The Society for Music Analysis is hosting a “First Summit On Music Literacy” at the University of Cambridge in July 2024. You can learn about the summit and the call for papers here.

I wonder if it will end up expanding some of the discourse on music literacy and music literacies in music ed?

and just because. . .

I felted.

Did it for the first time to make an ornament for my wife as a Christmas present and couldn’t believe how satisfying it was.

There was something about the process that was sort of meditative – highly recommend if you’re looking for something to try out.

Anyone already into this?

As a total newbie, I got a kit from Felted Sky via etsy, which was easy to use and included a super helpful video. I think it’s pretty cool how folks create kits that can serve as openings into a new practice.

Maybe a new occasional de-stresser ? Send me tips or cool resources if you got them!

Thanks for reading & #ImaginingPossibilities with me !

Imagining Possibilities for Music Learning & Teaching #6