This page is based on THESE SLIDES delivered at the Bloomington Academic Advising Council's annual conference on 2/25/2025.

Alternatively, if you want a distilled version of this content, checkout my recent Advisor Spotlight (which includes a 10 minute audio overview). PLEASE NOTE: You are welcome to share these resources with anyone in the IU community who wants to learn more about AI.

Conference Guidebook (include session description)
OneDrive Folder with ALL MENTIONED RESOURCES

TLDR: If you are looking for Ben’s specific recommendations for 3 Steps to go from a GAI novice to a Jed-AI, follow these steps in order:

#1 Read 2-3 resources designed to ensure you have the foundational understanding required to use GAI ethically & effectively. Doing this 1st will really make a big difference. Pick 2-3 of the following:

#2 Focus your use on Microsoft Copilot (productivity) & Adobe Firefly/Express (creativity) specifically. These models are safer tools to focus on until you feel more comfortable/confident

#3 Continue practicing with the above models and using resources to enhance your mastery. In terms of specific resources, I strongly recommend you tackle these 3 in order:

What follows is an overview of the actual presentation given on 2/25/25:

My Name Is Ben Braddock (he/him/his) I serve the IUB Groups Scholars Program as STEM Coordinator & academic advisor.
CLICK HERE to checkout another recent presentation I did on AI in the classroom.
Believe me, I know that AI can be an incredibly confusing and intimidating subject! Everything I've learned about AI, I've learned in 17 months (with resources available to you).

If I can do it, you can do it too! Which leads me to my #1 piece of advice:

Learning to use AI effectively & ethically is like learning any other skill. It takes time, but you don't have to go at it alone! I have endeavored to give you a roadmap & recommendations to help guide your development. I strongly encourage you to utilize some of the resources below!

Even if you can't fit university events into your schedule, I've also included several ways you can learn independently!

This webpage gives you access to lots of resources. To access the image (and hyperlinks) above check out:
SLIDES from My Presentation
For a more in-depth look at WHAT GAI is and HOW it works, checkout:
SLIDES I Use To Intro AI To Students
I know this might sound like "techno-babble" (especially if you're not a STEM person), take a deep breath, focus on the highlighted parts, and checkout the examples you are already familiar with below:
ChatGPT is a form of Generative Artificial Intelligence specifically, and its public release changed everything by—

Well this is awkward...audience, meet KORDbot! KORD is my personal GAI assistant that I use to help me with my STEM Coordinator & academic advisor responsibilities. I "made" KORD using several technologies we'll talk about later on (Copilot, FireFly, & Express). In the meantime, KORD why don't you help me explain why ChatGPT blew up, and what's so special about GAI (compared to "non-generative AI"):

Thanks KORDbot! I'll be honest though, I think there are some parts of your explanation that left a little to be desired. In particular, I want to be sure our audience understands HOW GAIs work, and whether "generate" is actually a good word to describe what's happening:

Below is a simplistic overview (this is AI 101 after all) of HOW AI actually works. Understanding this will help you utilize GAI more effectively & ethically:
It is crucial you understand that GAI is not "thinking" like a human being. It is essentially predicting what it "thinks" you want to hear!
100% of the KORDbot audio/visual effect was created using Adobe tools that are available to you for free!
This model is effectively a 3 Step breakdown of how GAI works.
This quote is taken from a short 15 page paper that serves as an excellent introduction to AI (I know instructors who literally use this paper to introduce students to AI):
MLA-CCC Introductory Paper On AI
This is the literal metaphor I use to explain GAI to my students!
Tell your friends, "GAI is like The Force!"
This is a direct excerpt from the AI Policy I use in my FALL class:
My AI Usage Policy
Academic Misconduct & the Code of Student Rights
No IU-wide policy on GAI at Teaching.IU
Knowledge Base has guidance on what you CANNOT DO with GAI, and you can you can see how this interacts with data classification policies HERE & HERE.
Now that you understand how GAI works, and what the "guardrails" are for effective & ethical use, its time to talk about WHAT YOU CAN DO TO DEVELOP YOUR OWN "AI LITERACY:"
You already have access to my slides from today, the slides I use in class, and the MLA-CCC joint paper. Be sure you also checkout:
The AI @ IU Website
Access Copilot HERE
"Prompting" is the primary means through which you will interact with GAI. If you want to use GAI effectively, then you must learn about "prompt engineering."
Ben's Guide On Prompt Engineering
Click here to access Adobe Firefly & Adobe Express.
Through this webpage you have access to several resources. If you want my specific recommendation for WHAT TO DO NEXT, focus on these 2 Canvas pages:
Do This Canvas Page 1st (good general overview)
Then This One (focuses on specific skill development)
Don't give up and don't expect it to come all at once! This technology changes & evolves rapidly. Just keep "chipping away at it" and engaging with the resources (and people) available to you:
SLIDES This Page Is Based On
OneDrive Folder with ALL MENTIONED RESOURCES
CREATED BY
Ben Braddock