Pixel International Conferences

Integrating generative AI into visual design education is a significant pedagogical strategy for enhancing students’ creativity and technical skills. However, early AI implementations in design education often prioritize AI’s potential and its pedagogical benefits over essential ethical considerations, lacking engagement in ethical literacy, including intellectual property, originality, algorithmic bias, and the devaluation of craftsmanship.

To address these concerns, this study proposes a pedagogical approach that foregrounds ethics in a senior-year studio course, aiming to foster students' ethical awareness alongside an AI-enhanced motion design project. Drawing on the Ethic-Informed Design Thinking (EIDT) framework, the project integrated AI-specific ethics into the motion graphic design process of using generative AI platforms such as Runway AI and Adobe Firefly AI, underscoring the ethical awareness in an AI-enhanced design workflow.

To assess the learning outcomes, mixed-methods research was employed. Quantitative data was gathered through pre- and post-project surveys measuring shifts in students’ understanding of AI ethics, while qualitative insights were collected through open-ended questions in the survey. Findings indicate that students not only harnessed AI’s creative potential but also developed a deeper understanding of ethical design practices in the age of AI.

By engaging students in ethically grounded AI design scenarios, this approach provides a model for design educators seeking to balance AI-driven innovation with the imperative to cultivate ethical responsibility in design education.