AI Masterclass: Tools, Trade-offs, and Tough Questions

Most commentators on AI focus only on practical applications — and we will too — but they tend to ignore the pitfalls: privacy concerns, data autonomy, environmental impact, and more. This event gives you a fuller picture of AI's many facets.

The practical side calls for a workshop format, where you can explore the possibilities and try things out yourself. The harder questions call for discussion — a space to get the essential facts, hear other people's views, and form your own opinion.

Coming to grips with AI, the good and the bad, is a journey we're all on. We each start from a different place and move at a different pace, so participants arrive with different questions and different needs. To meet you where you are, we've listed the discussion topics and mini-workshops on offer below — the final program will be shaped by what participants actually want.

Enroll by October 25th and rank the topics by preference. We will build the final program around your choices. From October 27th, late enrollers can join any groups that still have open spots.

• 1. Discussion: AI and environmental sustainability
  Perhaps you have heard the discourse on AI tools and their environmental impact, but how accurate is it? In this discussion session, we will discuss whether the environmental impact is communicated accurately, exaggerated or not emphasized enough. We will talk about what we know about the footprint of training, using, and energy / water consumption of Generative AI (GenAI) models. This can be a place to learn something new about the environmental footprint of GenAI, or to share your views if you already follow the topic closely.  The discussion does not have to be limited to environmental sustainability: there will be space to discuss more broadly about societal and human sustainability of GenAI as well. 
  
  This discussion will be led by Malcolm Campbell-Verduyn and Marco Zullich
  

• 2. Discussion: AI and Privacy
  Join this discussion session on AI privacy and security, designed to explore the real-world risks and responsibilities that come with using artificial intelligence. The session begins with a short presentation covering how the privacy risks surrounding AI during training and use, followed by security risks surrounding AI. We will then discuss why privacy is important followed by how you can ensure privacy on a user and university level. 
  
  This discussion will be led by a teaching-assistant of the Data science team of CIT accompanied by a privacy and security officer of the Digital Competence Center.
  

• 3. Discussion: AI and Data Autonomy
  As AI systems are becoming increasingly embedded in everyday tools and workflows, questions about who owns, controls and benefits from the underlying data are becoming harder to ignore. In an age where data means power, we invite you to this discussion session to explore the tensions between convenience and privacy and how we can protect our autonomy in a data economy. 
  
  Discussion leader to be announced.
  

• 4. Discussion: Ethical AI use in research
  Are you a researcher, or simply invested in the integrity of academic work? Join us for a discussion session exploring the ethical questions raised by AI tools in research. Together, we'll examine how these tools might reshape research quality, and whether the productivity gains from automation are worth the risks that come with them. Whether you're an enthusiastic user or a skeptic, this session invites a discussion about where AI and research ethics intersect.
  
  Discussion leader to be announced.
  

• 5. Discussion: The state of agentic AI; will tools like Openclaw ever be safe enough for work?
  Agentic AI holds the promise of actually taking over a lot of work and doing tasks at your command. Composing a mail based upon your previous mail conversations with that person; booking a hotel based on your agenda using your credit-card information; finding that document on your hard drive you worked on recently for a company which name you cannot remember but rhymed with ravioli. 
  
  These are all tasks a dedicated and trusted personal assistant could do for you. But can we trust agentic AI? All the risks and concerns concerning AI apply to agentic AI even stronger. There are also new risks and concerns that only apply to agentic AI. Still many people dabble with this technology. In this discussion session you will discuss the current risks of agentic AI, trying to predict if agentic AI will ever be deemed safe enough for work.
  
  This discussion will be led by an employee of the Data science team of CIT.
  

• 6. Mini-workshop: Prompt-engineering
  During this workshop, you will discover how different types of prompting techniques for artificial intelligence (AI) tools can be a useful addition to your workflow. We will introduce different types of prompting, explore their strengths and limitations, and share best practices and optimal scenarios for using them. 
  
  Attend this workshop if you would like to improve your use of Generative AI models (GenAI). You are expected to have a basic understanding of (a) GenAI model(s) of your choice. 
  
  This workshop will be led by a teaching-assistant of the Data science team of CIT.

• 7. Mini-workshop: Design with AI
  During this workshop, you will discover how artificial intelligence (AI) can transform your design workflow. Whether you are designing a poster for your next team outing, creating diagrams for a presentation, or creating images for social media, AI tools can help you improve your results. We will introduce the AI design tools, explore their strengths and limitations, and share best practices for using them. We will focus on the tool Canva AI, and also briefly show Gamma and Napkin AI.
  
  Attend this workshop if you are interested in using AI for design-based tasks or wish to learn more about it. You are not expected to have any experience with niche design AI tools, but are expected to have basic experience with AI. 
  
  This workshop will be led by a teaching-assistant of the Data science team of CIT.
  

• 8. Mini-workshop: Excel and AI
  Excel is one of the most widely used tools in the workplace, but are you getting the most out of it? In this workshop, we explore how AI can help you work faster and use Excel more efficiently.
  
  We will explain how to use Generative AI (GenAI) chatbots to get instant help with formulas and data questions, and discover how integrated AI features in Excel can automate repetitive tasks and simplify your work. 
  
  Attend this workshop if you are interested in getting more out of your Excel use. You are not required to have used GenAI before, but you are expected to have some basic experience with Excel. 
  
  This workshop will be led by a teaching-assistant of the Data science team of CIT.
  

• 9. Mini-workshop: Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)
  In most chat-like AI tools you can upload or link to documents and ask questions based on those documents or request summaries. However, Gemini Notebook is a lot more reliable. It also has many features for giving insight, summaries, reports, mind maps, quizzes and even podcasts. You can deal with many more sources and share your notebook with others.
  
  Attend this workshop if you are interested in using Gemini Notebook or want to learn more about it. You do not need to have used Gemini Notebook before, but you are expected to already know what it is and to have basic experience with Generative AI (GenAI) models in general. To use Gemini Notebook you need to have a (non-UG) Gmail account.
  
  This workshop will be led by a teaching-assistant of the Data science team of CIT.
  

• 10. Mini-workshop: Coding with AI
  AI coding assistants are powerful tools that can help you write, debug, and understand code faster than working alone. Whether you are building software professionally, working on research code, or just getting started with programming, these tools can help you work smarter and catch mistakes earlier.
  
  Attend this workshop if you are interested in using AI coding tools or want to learn more about how to use them effectively. You do not need to have used AI coding assistants before, but you are expected to already have basic programming experience and some familiarity with how Generative AI (GenAI) models work in general.
  
  This workshop will be led by a teaching-assistant of the Data science team of CIT.
  

• 11. Mini-workshop: European AI, Mistral Vibe
  Privacy concerns (should) stop you from using AI for many tasks, such as: getting feedback on that personal mail, summarizing a sensitive document, or getting a ToDo list from the transcript of an internal meeting. However, IF the AI tool used upholds the GDPR and foreign governments cannot demand access to your data, you CAN use AI for this data. 
  
  In this workshop we will get you acquainted with the French-based Mistral Vibe, which does comply with GDPR (=AVG) and keeps your data on the continent.
  
  If you don’t have a Mistral Vibe account yet, create one for free at https://chat.mistral.ai/chat  If you’re part of the UG, use your UG email account details.
  
  This workshop will be led by a teaching-assistant of the Data science team of CIT.

Prerequisites

If you would like to attend any discussion session, there are no prerequisites. You and your ideas are welcome, no matter the level! We find it is always best if there is a good balance of experts and beginners for the most flourishing discussion.

If you would like to attend:

• The Prompt Engineering, Design with AI or Coding with AI workshops, you are expected to have basic experience with Generative AI (GenAI) models.

• The Excel and AI workshop, no experience with GenAI models are required, but a basic knowledge of Excel is expected

• The Mistral Vibe workshop, you need no previous experience with GenAI, but you will need to have created an account before the workshop. You can create the account via https://chat.mistral.ai/chat (using your university mail if applicable)

• The Gemini Notebook workshop, you need to have basic experience with GenAI and you will need to bring a non-university Gmail account with you.

_{This is a Research Support Hub workshop. The Research Support Hub is a CIT initiative to support all researchers and PhD-candidates throughout the University of Groningen on data management, geo-services, statistics, machine Learning, AI-tools and high performance computing.}