How AI is transforming science communication tools and tactics
Jana Makar1, Aditi Subramanya2, Adam Huttner-Koros3 1New Zealand eScience Infrastructure, Auckland New Zealand2Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre, Perth Australia3NCI Australia, Canberra Australia
Abstract
Situation
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications roll out across social, professional, and academic realms, there is a need to raise awareness and understanding of how AI tools are impacting the field of science communications. Mike S. Schäfer notes in his paper, ‘The Notorious GPT: science communication in the age of artificial intelligence’: “although even the short-term ramifications of generative AI for science communication are still largely unclear… practitioners and scholars should take the technology seriously, assess it critically, embrace its opportunities, but also tackle its challenges.”
Task
This session will raise awareness of how AI tools can be applied in science communications activities – from image generation to content creation to task automation – and share examples of how Australasian science communicators are using AI to support their communications strategies.
Action
We’ll start the session with some context setting and explore common risks and considerations you should keep in mind before adopting tools like this in your comms practices. We’ll then open the floor for group discussion and questions, such as:
- What excites (or concerns) you about these new tools and technologies? Key strengths and weaknesses?
- What AI tools are organisations currently exploring or how they are experimenting with AI applications in their comms activities
- How have you learnt to communicate with AI tools? What are some ways you’ve learnt to prompt effectively?
Result
Participants will leave this session with a better understanding of the ways AI can be applied in science communication practices. Examples and ideas will also be shared for how to integrate and experiment with AI tools in your communication approaches.
Biography
Jana Makar, Communications Manager, New Zealand eScience Infrastructure (NeSI)
Based at the University of Auckland, Jana coordinates a variety of communications and engagement activities for NeSI. She is a member of the Science Communicators Association of New Zealand (SCANZ) Executive Committee and works to build community amongst other communications practitioners in Aotearoa’s computational research sector.
Aditi Subramanya, Marketing & Events Officer, CSIRO – Pawsey Supercomputing Centre
Based at the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre, Aditi is a creative marketing and communications professional. Aditi is a technology enthusiast and early adopter. Converging her love for science and technology, Aditi is a digital marketer, community builder and problem solver.
Adam Huttner-Koros, Communications and Outreach Coordinator, National Computational Infrastructure
Adam has been at NCI since 2016, helping communicate NCI’s impact through the Annual Report, NCI visits, events, conferences and more. Before coming to NCI, he spent some time doing freelance science writing following his studies in science communication and linguistics.