On Wednesday, July 9, director Alex Jenkins gave a presentation on what generative AI can do to an audience that was as astute as they were discerning; teenagers with autism.
It was the first GenAI Bootcamp made possible by the recent awarding of the Federal Government’s Strong and Resilient Communities Activity grant, so we joined about 40 very engaged young people to talk about the possibilities, ethics and more around AI.
It also meant WADSIH was part of the lineup presenting at the Academy’s GenAI Bootcamps, a great fun and vitally important program that gives autistic kids a safe, fun environment in which to learn about the latest technological advances.
First it was time to develop a simple game completely through AI prompts, a variation on Flappy Bird (but with a farting cow), which saw at least three attendees gleefully jump up from their seats and join Alex at the podium to have a go.
Next, suggestions were taken from the crowd on what to include in an AI generated video. After careful aesthetic consideration it was decide a chicken with laser eyes blasting into space (holding a bucket of KFC, naturally) expressed the muse of the auteurs.
Alex then led the gathering through the creation of AI voice assistants that could help with questions about mental health or hard-to-express feelings, and another one that spoke like a pirate for good measure.
Finally he interacted with a live video feed of himself, challenging the gathering to figure out if the digital Alex was real or AI generated and prompting a discussion about the ethics of deepfakes.
We were very happy for the chance to work with program director Professor Tele Tan and Gen AI Educator Beth Cusack to take part in a fantastic project. As Beth, who designs the GenAI Bootcamp curriculum, told us afterwards; ‘it’s been a huge success. All the kids are participating really well and tell me they enjoy it’.
As well as Alex’s presentation, WADSIH was further represented by friend and advisory board member SJ Price, partner at Stirling & Rose and one of WA’s foremost experts on AI and the law, who gave the group a primer on the ethics of AI.
We wish the team every success for the rest of the bootcamp and look forward to working with them again.
The next GenAI Bootcamps for your calendar are
Keep up to date (including lodging an expression of interest for future bootcamps on GenAI Bootcamps’ website.
