The principle
Use AI to expand what you can learn, not to avoid learning it.
Human creativity comes first
The creative side of this program must strongly encourage students to develop and use their own abilities rather than depending heavily on AI or generative AI to create work for them.
AI should be treated as an optional learning and assistance tool, not a replacement for human creativity.
Skillsmith Courses does not condone using generative AI to produce or substitute for a student's creative work in art, design, drawing, writing, or related creative fields.
Students should be encouraged to
- Develop their own ideas
- Practice the underlying craft
- Make their own creative decisions
- Experiment
- Revise their work
- Develop personal style
- Develop their own perspective
- Explain their decisions
- Learn from mistakes
- Produce meaningful original contributions
Know the difference between AI tools
Generative AI
Generative AI creates expressive outputs, including images, writing, designs, audio, and other creative content. It is not appropriate as a substitute for developing the underlying creative craft or for submitting generated work as your own evidence of skill.
An LLM is a language model and may generate text. Image and art generators are separate kinds of generative models. We do not treat every generative tool as “art,” but the same Human-First standard applies whenever a tool creates the core expressive work.
Computational / automation AI
Computational or automation AI helps with routine, analytical, organizational, accessibility, or workflow tasks without generating the core creative work. It can be appropriate when it supports learning, administration, research, organization, or iteration while you retain authorship and judgment.
Appropriate AI use
AI may be used appropriately for purposes such as:
- Research
- Learning unfamiliar concepts
- Brainstorming assistance
- Receiving feedback
- Asking questions
- Exploring possibilities
- Organizing thoughts
- Identifying weaknesses
- Challenging assumptions
However, students should not simply generate an entire creative project with AI and submit it as evidence that they developed the underlying skill. Individual assignments may set stricter AI requirements when independent practice is essential to learning.
Students should disclose material AI assistance and preserve process evidence that shows their own ideas, decisions, revisions, and contribution.
Show the work behind the work
Where appropriate, students should provide evidence of their process, including material AI assistance, through:
- Drafts
- Sketches
- Notes
- Iterations
- Prototypes
- Decision logs
- Reflections
- Work-in-progress material
Reflect on your practice
Students should be able to explain
- What did I create?
- Why did I make these decisions?
- What problems did I encounter?
- How did I solve them?
- What did I learn?
- What would I change?
If AI was involved
- How did I use AI?
- What suggestions did I reject?
- What suggestions did I modify?
- What decisions were mine?
The purpose of the program is not to produce impressive-looking work with minimal effort.
The purpose is to develop a person who is capable of producing valuable work.