Graduate students at New York University are exploring the impact of artificial intelligence through a course titled “Experiential Design and Artificial Intelligence.” Taught by Steinhardt Professor Safinah Ali, the class examines AI systems as well as their social, cultural, and ethical implications. Students also design AI tools aimed at supporting learners in various educational settings.
Coding experience is not required for enrollment. The course helps students without programming backgrounds develop skills in Python and JavaScript. Most participants have experience in education, communication, or technology and share an interest in leveraging technology to promote learning.
Ali emphasizes that her teaching does not push a specific stance on AI use. “I think AI literacy should be independent of being pro or against,” says Ali. “In class, students use a lot of AI and they learn how to use it responsibly. And then there are modules that are fully dedicated to ethical implications and how AI impacts society, how it impacts classrooms, in particular, and learners and teachers.”
Students work on projects such as developing chatbots for learning historical facts or math concepts. One team is creating an educational math tool that provides context for understanding mathematical ideas rather than focusing solely on procedural knowledge. Graduate student Bair [Steinhardt] explained their motivation: “We hope that engaging students in a true, student-driven, inquiry-based approach will lead to a genuine appreciation of mathematics and a critical eye in interpreting mathematical information,” says Bair. “This app is not for learning how to factor a quadratic. Rather, for example, it’s for learning about the historical perspectives on Pi and how one may go about estimating it.”
Ali notes current limitations with many AI tools used in education: “Oftentimes, it’s just about content generation, especially with new age and generative AI tools. I love the students who come into this course because they’ve thought very deeply about what good learning means, and they have all these interesting critiques about AI tools that we see in the field right now.”
Jenn Choi [Tisch], another graduate student in the course, reflected on her experience: “My biggest takeaway has been reframing my understanding of AI as a creative and reflective partner. Instead of treating AI as a tool that gives definitive outputs, I’ve learned to see it as an agent that can prompt deeper awareness, support ambiguity, and respond to human intention in nuanced ways.” For her project team’s final submission, Choi helped develop an app translating art into emotions for users who find verbal expression challenging.
Ali wants her students to think critically about their role as designers: “I want students to realize that AI is a tool; it’s a technology like many other different technologies—and how you choose to use it is upon yourself,” she says. “This field is very young right now so it’s getting defined—and there are critical players defining it. I want them to leave thinking about responsible ways of designing. Sometimes we get so swept away by making a thing work but it’s important to pause and reflect.”
New York University’s Stern School of Business integrates ethics and social responsibility into its curriculum through various initiatives focused on leadership development (https://www.stern.nyu.edu/). The school supports teaching with modern classrooms designed for collaborative learning environments (https://www.stern.nyu.edu/). As part of New York University—a private research institution—Stern offers programs aimed at fostering innovation among business leaders (https://www.stern.nyu.edu/).
