Bhopal. “There is no doubt that artificial intelligence (AI) has deeply entered our lives and workplaces, but it is our responsibility to ensure that we stay ahead of AI and do not allow it to dominate us.” These views were expressed by Akhil Sahay, Director of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). He was speaking as the chief guest at a felicitation ceremony for senior art teachers and a roundtable discussion organised at Career Design School, Bhopal.
Akhil Sahay said that, amid the vast amount of information and digital resources available today, the ability to identify useful and relevant content and use it creatively in design and education has become an important skill. He said technology should be used to strengthen human creativity, not to replace it.
On the occasion, 12 senior art teachers from various reputed schools in the city were honoured. A roundtable discussion on “Art Education in the Age of AI” was also organised as part of the programme. The discussion focused on the emerging challenges, opportunities and future direction of art education.
The discussion was attended by several art teachers, including Khyali Ram Jha of DPS, Bhavna Chaudhary of Holy Family School, Vidhi Jain of Mother Teresa School, Diana Tomar of Army Public School, Shikha Saxena of Holy Cross, Amit Nayak of Billabong High International School, Ruchi Thakur of DPS, Meeta Johar Dutta, and Dr. Bhumika Singh of St. Joseph’s Convent School.
Vidhi Jain said, “No matter how advanced AI becomes, it will always lack human sensitivity and emotional warmth.” Khyali Ram Jha said AI could inspire students to experiment with new ideas, but the responsibility of developing original thinking would continue to rest with teachers. Bhavna Chaudhary said AI should be used as an assistive tool in art education so that students learn to trust their imagination along with technology. Diana Tomar said teachers would have to make students aware of the ethical and responsible use of AI.
The roundtable discussion was moderated by Sunil Shukla, founder of the Art Design Teachers Forum. He said workshops would continue to be organised to help art teachers stay updated. He also said that discussions were underway for a collaborative project involving AI students and art teachers, who would work together. The programme also featured a presentation by the institute’s design faculty on the basics of AI and its creative applications.
In her welcome address, Principal Dr. Charanjeet Kaur said Career Design School was providing quality education in animation and design to students at highly affordable fees. Head of Department Dr. Romsha Sharma assured that such interactions with art teachers would continue in the future. The programme was conducted by Dr. Suchita Raut.
