Proposal for Examining the Capabilities and Impact of Generative AI in Higher Education; Generative AI in Creative Industries: Navigating Its Impact on Human Creativity

Generative AI is one of the most - if not the most - transformative actors in our society in the past decade, and predicted to be for the next century. Both my technical and STS projects lie in their shared focus on this transformative role of generative AI. My technical project explores generative AI’s capability in academic environments, evaluating its potential to enhance education and research processes. My STS project investigates how generative AI is reshaping creative industries, such as art and music, influencing artistic expression, professional dynamics, and intellectual property considerations. While these projects may seem disconnected, they converge on a broader question: how society adapts to and shapes the ethical implications of generative AI. I chose this STS topic to highlight the interdisciplinary relevance of ethical responsibility in engineering practice. STS perspectives are crucial in engineering because they emphasize the interaction between technology and society, guiding us to design and deploy innovations that are socially informed, ethically grounded, and aligned with human values.
My technical project investigates the capabilities of generative AI in academic environments, particularly its role in higher education. While generative AI is often stigmatized as akin to plagiarism, this research highlights the nuanced differences between the two and the potential benefits of AI integration in education. The study examines the current prevalence and perceptions of generative AI among students and faculty, aiming to understand its ethical
implications and practical applications. By exploring how generative AI can be leveraged responsibly, the research aims to inform policies that bridge the gap between innovation and academic integrity, ultimately fostering an environment where AI serves as a tool for enhancing learning and collaboration.
My STS project explores the transformative impact of generative AI on creative industries such as art and music, focusing on its implications for artistic expression, professional roles, and intellectual property frameworks. The widespread adoption of generative AI has lowered barriers to creative participation, enabling novel forms of artistic production. However, it has also introduced challenges, including uncertainties around copyright, ethical use, and job displacement for human creators. This project examines the power dynamics between AI developers and creative professionals, proposing a regulatory framework that balances innovation with the protection of human creativity. The findings aim to guide the industry toward equitable practices, ensuring generative AI enriches rather than undermines cultural and economic value.
Bruno Latour, author of Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network Theory once wrote, “Nothing is, by itself, either reducible or irreducible to anything else” (Reassembling the Social, 2005). This idea lies at the heart of actor-network theory (ANT), which invites us to view technology not as a passive tool but as a vibrant participant in a web of interconnected actors - human and nonhuman alike. In the context of generative AI, ANT illuminates how these systems co-shape outcomes with students, educators, artists, developers, and policymakers, forming intricate networks of influence. From this perspective, ethical responsibility in engineering transcends technical design; it requires weaving accountability into the fabric of these networks. In education, this means acknowledging AI’s role as a co-actor in reshaping learning experiences and institutional norms, pushing us to rethink how innovation and integrity coexist. In creative industries, it involves navigating the interplay of human artistry, AI-generated content, and evolving intellectual property laws to ensure that human creativity is not sidelined. ANT challenges us to see the sociotechnical landscape as a collaborative story, where every actor—human or otherwise—contributes to the narrative. By adopting this perspective, engineers can craft technologies that harmonize with the values and aspirations of the networks they transform.

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

Technical Advisor: Briana Morrison

STS Advisor: Kathryn Neeley

Technical Team Members: None