An AIIAP (Artificial Intelligence Individual Action Plan) (#1351)

Topics/tags: Technology, Autobiographical, unedited

Last week, I was in a workshop entitled What does AI mean? It’s a workshop in which we’re spending more time thinking through questions than developing or hearing answers. The goal is to bring people together from across campus to discuss the implications and possibilities of generative AI [1].

One of our workshop tasks is to generate an Artificial Intelligence Individual Action Plan, in which we reflect on the ways these tools can be incorporated into our scholarship. That doesn’t mean that they have to be a part of our scholarship; we are also encouraged to think about the ways in which these tools might be used to promote our scholarship or make it more accessible [2] to others. For example, some people have used generative AI to turn one of their research papers into a podcast [3].

I suppose one of my challenges is that, well, I like challenges. In particular, I like the struggle involved in trying to put ideas to paper (or to bits). It’s why I write. I’d alo rather see what I can take from reading a research paper than have something else summarize it for me.

In terms of marketing, I’m old enough that I already have a brand [4]. I market myself, if we want to call it that, through my musings. And, when appropriate, I share my scholarship through the musings. As I said, I’d rather write about my work than have someone else (or some_thing_ else) write about it.

So, where does generative AI sit in my broader research world? Since my primary area is CS education, I could better consider it as a tool for CS education. But I’m not sure that’s sufficiently within my wheelhouse; others may be better equipped to do so [5].

I like the idea of using generative AI to serve as a simulated peer reviewer [6]. I hope to experiment with that approach this year. Fortunately, the SIGCSE Technical Symposium publishes its review criteria [7].

I should learn about how to make a custom Generative AI tool. Why? Mostly, to deepen my understanding. But also to consider other ways that I might use such tools. Perhaps I could customize one so that it critiques my writing using the methods of Joe Williams’ Style.

I suppose it would be fun to generate a video for If you ask a Prof a question [8]. I’m not sure whether that’s scholarly, educational, marketing, or something else. Perhaps it’s just fun. First, I have to figure out why it’s not working.

Is that an action plan? Not really. However, it’s as much of one as I’m willing to write right now. A simulated peer reviewer seems like a good first start. Developing something related to my courses is a good next step. After that? We shall see.

[1] I don’t like the abbreviation GenAI, since to me, that reads as General AI rather than Generative AI.

[2] In this case, accessible is used to mean things like understandable and available, rather than in the broader sense of accessibility for those with different (dis)abilities.

[3] I use the term podcast lightly. At least one participant wrote the following (as a not-fully-formed set of ideas).

This is not a podcast.

I want to interrogate [this point] a lot more. My initial thoughts were:

• Discussion tropes are being deployed in an obnoxious way. I see the reasons behind them, but as a presentational content specialist, I find them distracting and off.
• The discussion lacks any/all hallmarks of rapport (with each other and with the audience). I get zero warmth while listening.
• I miss aspects of fully produced podcasts (theme music, background music, sound effects to mark content transitions, etc.)

In talking through some of these ideas with my colleague, I came to the realizing that many human-created podcasts also lack these qualities, and I just write them off as poorly produced slop, but I still consider them to be podcasts. So it seems I have a double standard. Does it matter if we call the AI-generated audio overview a podcast or something else?

Reading that, all I could think about was the SNL sketch about AI-generated educational podcasts.

[4] I still hate the term brand.

[5] This week, I attended a workshop on AI and writing and started to come up with an activity related to Generative AI in CS. I hope to report on it in the near future.

[6] I hope that my real peer reviewers don’t use generative AI. It is, unfortunately, a practice that seems to be increasingly prevelant.

[7] I may have been the one who initially added them to the SIGCE TS sites. (brag brag brag)

[8] Crap! Why doesn’t that work any more?

Version 1.0 released 2025-06-12 .

Version 1.0.2 of 2026-04-04.