Ringling College’s AI Certificate is the First of its Kind – But How do Students Feel?
Artificial Intelligence is here to stay. Countless people have had their lives disrupted by the sudden and rapid change that AI has brought to the workforce, and no career path has perhaps been affected more than art. There have been numerous efforts to quell its impact on the artist community, but for better or for worse, Ringling College of Art and Design had chosen to create a pathway for students to embrace AI in their work.
In May 2024 Ringling College of Art and Design announced that they would be launching an AI certificate program for undergraduate students, where they would be required to take three classes worth nine total credits. One class required for the certificate is LIBA 215, Fundamentals of AI. The last six credits are split across two electives, ILLU 303 AI Techniques and Processes for Art, and ELEC 302 Topics in Artificial Intelligence.
In an interview with Ringling News, Rick Dakan, the AI coordinator at RCAD said, “AI is scary, exciting, revolutionary, and sometimes feels like an existential threat to creators of all kinds. At Ringling College, we are committed to innovation and providing our students with the tools they need to thrive in constantly evolving creative professions…The AI Undergraduate Certificate program is a proactive response to the rapid technological changes reshaping the creative landscape. We want our students to be equipped to shape the future of art with AI, not simply be shaped by it.”
Ringling has been upfront with their approach to incorporating AI into their curriculum, claiming that, “At Ringling College of Art and Design, we acknowledge the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the creative industries…we remain committed to providing our students with the skills, knowledge, and ethical foundation necessary to navigate this rapidly changing landscape,”. For those who began attending Ringling before generative AI was even a concept of a threat, having both the college and select professors suddenly embrace this terrifying technology feels like a betrayal. Generative AI is incredibly unregulated and a legal nightmare. Artists' artwork is stolen without permission and used to train the algorithm to create more accurate artistic images, making copyright almost impossible to obtain.
While Ringling has emphasized the importance of ethical AI practices, it is hard for most students to believe that there is any ethical way to use a program that credits its learning to the stolen work of others.
When writing this article, it was considered necessary to gauge other students' opinions about the embrace of AI on campus. It was particularly important to hear the opinions of the upperclassmen, who have watched the school morph from strictly anti-AI to embracing the technology, against most students’ wishes.
When asked their opinions on the new AI certificate, Computer Animation senior Keily Delgado-Chacon said, “I don’t like AI. I just feel like you’re getting a certificate for something that’s trying to take over our jobs, and it’s a slap in the face to all those artists who have been protesting against it. And why would you even need a certificate? You know? I think it’s stupid.“
Illustration Visual Development senior Gabriela Martinazzi shared similar sentiments when asked the same question; “I understand the school is trying to adapt to AI but I think it’s uncomfortable that they scrambled so quickly to create a ’certificate’ that realistically just teaches students to be familiar with typing prompts.”
It is impossible to predict how AI will exactly morph the professional art world. However, Ringling is doing what it believes will be best for the future of the art world and the artists they are shaping to enter the industry. The negative response from students is an important footnote in how artists will either fight or embrace AI in the future.
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