Artificial intelligence is everywhere, but what do most people actually know about this emerging technology?
You can learn more and try out different AI platforms at the Groundworks AI Playground, located downtown at the Herrick District Library.
“The whole idea is to give people a risk-free trial and let them try out these four different platforms,” says Daniel Zuberbier, coordinator for Groundworks. “They can try them out without having to create their own accounts.”
Foundation work
Foundation work is the library’s community space that provides the tools and technology needed to create something new, advance personal and professional projects, and meet, share, and collaborate with others. HDL patrons can try out new technology, including 3D printers, sound booths, graphic design software, dye-sublimation printers, virtual reality headsets, and digital conversion equipment.
Groundworks is open Mondays and Tuesdays from noon to 8pm, Wednesdays from 10am to 4pm, and Thursdays, Fridays and every other Saturday from 10am to 2pm.
Zuberbier said users can address their questions and concerns about AI without risk. Questions posed to the text-based AI platform include “What’s a good costume for a Renaissance fair?”, “Is time travel possible?” and “How do I code Java?” People also ask the AI to write them an award speech or create a guide for opening a pizza place at home.
The Playground currently includes the full version of ChatGPT, as well as three image-based platforms Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, and DALL-E 3, and one video platform, Luma Dream Machine.
The playground, available until mid-September, allows users to input any idea they can think of, from a cat in a space suit to Iron Man riding a unicorn, and instantly generate images and videos of it.
“We’re here to educate the public on what these platforms can and can’t do,” Zuberbier said. “There are questions about the ethics used to collect and train these models.”
He said AI imagery is used in more places than people realize, including in advertising, corporate stock art and even “deepfake” videos.
“Deepfakes are becoming more and more prevalent, and people need to know what they are and how to spot them,” said Faith Barnett, an assistant professor at Groundworks.
The library is planning future programs focused on identifying deepfakes.
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