A man named Boris Eldagsen won a big prize for his picture, but he didn’t want it. He said he made the picture using a computer program called AI, and not a camera. He wanted to talk about how AI is changing the way we make pictures. The people who gave out the prize didn’t know he used AI, and they were upset. Eldagsen said he didn’t think AI pictures and real pictures should compete against each other. He didn’t want to take a prize that he didn’t think he deserved.
Some people think AI is not fair because it can copy the work of real people. They worry that AI might take over some jobs that people do. Other people think AI is just a new tool to use for art. There are still many things we need to learn about AI and how we should use it.
Original news source: Sony World Photography Award 2023: Winner refuses award after revealing AI
creation (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Brainstorm: AI and Art
Instructions: Write “AI” and “Art” on the board. Ask students to brainstorm words or phrases that they associate with each of these topics. Write their ideas on the board. Encourage them to share their thoughts on how AI can be used in art.
– Picture Analysis
Instructions: Show the students the picture created by Boris Eldagsen using AI. Ask them to describe what they see, what colors are used, and what mood or feeling the picture gives them. Encourage them to use adjectives to describe the picture.
– Pros and Cons of AI
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. One group will list the pros of AI in art, while the other group will list the cons. After 5-10 minutes, ask each group to share their list with the class. Encourage them to explain their reasons.
– AI or Real?
Instructions: Draw a table on the board with two columns: “AI Pictures” and “Real Pictures.” Show the students a series of pictures and ask them to decide if it was created using AI or taken by a camera. Have them write their answers in the appropriate column.
Comprehension Questions:
1. Who won a prize for his picture?
2. What did Boris Eldagsen use to make his picture?
3. What did Eldagsen want to talk about?
4. How did the prize-givers feel when they found out Eldagsen used AI?
5. Why did Eldagsen not want to take the prize?
6. Why do some people think AI is not fair?
7. What do some people think about AI in art?
8. What do we still need to learn about AI?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
A man named Boris Eldagsen won a big (1)________ for his picture, but he didn’t want it. He said he made the picture using a (2)________ program called AI, and not a camera. He wanted to talk about how AI is (3)________ the way we make pictures. The people who gave out the prize didn’t know he used AI, and they were (4)________. Eldagsen said he didn’t think AI pictures and real pictures should compete against each other. He didn’t want to take a prize that he didn’t think he (5)________.
Some people think AI is not (6)________ because it can copy the work of real people. They worry that AI might take over some (7)________ that people do. Other people think AI is just a new (8)________ to use for art. There are still many things we need to learn about AI and how we should use it.
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Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is AI?
2. How did Boris Eldagsen make his picture?
3. Why didn’t Boris Eldagsen want to take the prize?
4. Do you think AI pictures and real pictures should compete against each other?
5. What do some people worry about with AI?
6. Do you think AI might take over some jobs that people do?
7. Is AI a new tool for art?
8. What are some things we still need to learn about AI?
9. Have you ever used AI to make a picture?
10. Do you like AI pictures or real pictures better?
11. What kind of pictures do you like to make?
12. Do you think AI is good for art?
13. Do you think people will use AI more in the future?
14. Do you think AI will change the way we make pictures?
15. How do you feel about AI?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. prize
2. AI
3. camera
4. compete
5. copy
6. jobs
7. tool
8. art
Meanings:
A) Things people do to make money
B) A way of making pictures using a computer program
C) A device used to take pictures
D) To try to do better than someone else
E) A reward for doing something well
F) Creating something that is beautiful or interesting
G) To create an exact duplicate of something
H) Something that can be used to make something else.
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Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What did Boris Eldagsen use to make his picture?
(a) a camera
(b) a pencil
(c) AI
(d) paintbrush
2. Why did Boris Eldagsen not want to take the prize?
(a) He didn’t think he deserved it
(b) He already had too many prizes
(c) He wanted to give the prize to someone else
(d) He was too busy to accept the prize
3. What do some people worry about with AI?
(a) It might take over some jobs that people do
(b) It might become too expensive to use
(c) It might not be good at making pictures
(d) It might not work with certain computers
4. Why were the people who gave out the prize upset?
(a) They didn’t like Boris Eldagsen’s picture
(b) They didn’t know he used AI
(c) They thought he deserved a bigger prize
(d) They couldn’t find Boris Eldagsen to give him the prize
5. What is AI?
(a) A new color
(b) A type of food
(c) A computer program
(d) A person’s name
6. What does Eldagsen think about AI pictures and real pictures?
(a) They should compete against each other
(b) They are the same thing
(c) They should not compete against each other
(d) They are too different to compare
7. What do some people think about AI and art?
(a) It is not fair
(b) It is too expensive
(c) It is too difficult to learn
(d) It is a new tool to use for art
8. What do we still need to learn about AI?
(a) How to make it work with certain computers
(b) How to use it for cooking
(c) How to speak to it
(d) How we should use it
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. Boris Eldagsen won a prize for his picture.
2. Boris Eldagsen used a computer program called AI to make his picture.
3. The people who gave out the prize knew that Boris Eldagsen used AI.
4. Boris Eldagsen believed that AI pictures and real pictures should compete against each other.
5. AI can’t copy the work of real people.
6. People worry that AI might take over some jobs that people do.
7. AI is just an old tool to use for art.
8. There are things we still need to learn about AI and how we should use it.
Go to answers ⇩
Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
1. Who won a prize for his picture?
2. How did Boris Eldagsen make his picture?
3. Why didn’t Boris Eldagsen want to take the prize?
4. What do some people worry about when it comes to AI?
5. What do some people think about AI and art?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. Who won a prize for his picture?
– A man named Boris Eldagsen won a prize for his picture.
2. What did Boris Eldagsen use to make his picture?
– Boris Eldagsen used a computer program called AI to make his picture.
3. What did Eldagsen want to talk about?
– Eldagsen wanted to talk about how AI is changing the way we make pictures.
4. How did the prize-givers feel when they found out Eldagsen used AI?
– The prize-givers were upset when they found out Eldagsen used AI.
5. Why did Eldagsen not want to take the prize?
– Eldagsen didn’t want to take the prize because he didn’t think he deserved it since he used AI and not a camera.
6. Why do some people think AI is not fair?
– Some people think AI is not fair because it can copy the work of real people, and they worry that it might take over some jobs that people do.
7. What do some people think about AI in art?
– Some people think AI is just a new tool to use for art.
8. What do we still need to learn about AI?
– We still need to learn many things about AI, like how we should use it, and what its effects on society might be.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
1. prize
2. computer
3. changing
4. upset
5. deserved
6. fair
7. jobs
8. tool
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. prize
Answer: E) A reward for doing something well
2. AI
Answer: B) A way of making pictures using a computer program
3. camera
Answer: C) A device used to take pictures
4. compete
Answer: D) To try to do better than someone else
5. copy
Answer: G) To create an exact duplicate of something
6. jobs
Answer: A) Things people do to make money
7. tool
Answer: H) Something that can be used to make something else.
8. art
Answer: F) Creating something that is beautiful or interesting
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What did Boris Eldagsen use to make his picture?
Answer: (c) AI
2. Why did Boris Eldagsen not want to take the prize?
Answer: (a) He didn’t think he deserved it
3. What do some people worry about with AI?
Answer: (a) It might take over some jobs that people do
4. Why were the people who gave out the prize upset?
Answer: (b) They didn’t know he used AI
5. What is AI?
Answer: (c) A computer program
6. What does Eldagsen think about AI pictures and real pictures?
Answer: (c) They should not compete against each other
7. What do some people think about AI and art?
Answer: (d) It is a new tool to use for art
8. What do we still need to learn about AI?
Answer: (d) How we should use it
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. Boris Eldagsen won a prize for his picture.
Answer: True
2. Boris Eldagsen used a computer program called AI to make his picture.
Answer: True
3. The people who gave out the prize knew that Boris Eldagsen used AI.
Answer: False
4. Boris Eldagsen believed that AI pictures and real pictures should compete against each other.
Answer: False
5. AI can’t copy the work of real people.
Answer: False
6. People worry that AI might take over some jobs that people do.
Answer: True
7. AI is just an old tool to use for art.
Answer: False
8. There are things we still need to learn about AI and how we should use it.
Answer: True
Go back to questions ⇧
