One of the first projects that visitors saw was Six Llamas: Exploring the Ethical Reasoning of Large Language Models. These modern AI systems are programmed to be aligned with different ideologies and can be prompted with different ethical dilemmas, such as the trolley problem. As AI and its uses in different realms of society develop rapidly, it’s important to consider and continue to research the ethical constraints – what better way to do that than with some llamas?

CWP 2.0 and MuralBits Physical Computing Kit

These impressive narrative pieces are a product of an 8-day NYU residency for high school students for a computational art program. Kayla DesPortes explained that students had the task  of creating a story with an accompanying sculpture with an interactive element using MuralBits, a basic physical computing kit. Between elaborate plots with office workers turned murderers or vindictive dragons and creative uses of technology, this project shows the creative potential and innovation for interdisciplinary learning.  

Dance Computing Software & Hardware

Another project from Elevate Lab that was hard to miss was their Dance Computer Software and Hardware. A large screen mirrored the room and detected people’s movements, but there was wearable programmable electronics for the dancers to wear for more precise movement. The corresponding code appeared on screen. This unique approach to embodied cognition offers opportunities for groups that are not usually exposed to computer science, including young women of color. This type of project not only makes it more accessible, but also more empowering and motivating. The real highlight of this was seeing everyone’s awesome dance moves!

Collaboration Multimodal Feedback Interfaces

Moving to Room 540, I immediately saw two project demonstrations from Augment-Ed: Augmenting Human Intellect in Education. I was curious about a small device on one of the tables, similar to a smart home device like an Alexa. As I approached, I was prompted to put on the wearable device that would track my individual's verbal participation. Wrapped around my wrist was a smart watch displaying a small blue square, which grew the more I spoke. Reminders on the watch would be given if someone was speaking too much or too little. I remember being in class and thinking, “Have I spoken enough?” Or occasionally, “am I speaking too much?” so this would have been a helpful multimodal tool for self regulation in these discussions!

Oral Presentation Feedback 

Steps away, some volunteers received feedback on their presenting skills from an AI tool that analyzed speaker volume, pace, articulation, slide presentations, and even posture. I imagine this tool being very useful in eLearning courses, large classroom environments, or self-guided skill development for public speaking. Both of these AI tools are practical applications that encourage participation and engagement. 

Looking Inside Cell VR

One of the projections showed a display of the inside of a cell, where the user had the ability to move around a microscopic environment and even interact with it by selecting different organelles. There is no doubt that students would be eager to engage with these interactive tools, all while actively constructing their own knowledge, and even fundamental skills!