How will ChatGPT, Bard, and other forms of generative AI change the media industry? What opportunities and jobs will it create-and which might be eliminated? This non-technical introduction to AI and the media will examine these questions, covering AI from a social, business, technological and practical perspective. Students who take this online course will obtain a basic grounding in understanding how AI works, and where it has already been integrated into various aspects of the media and entertainment industries. Also covered are new career opportunities, key skills and experiences required for those jobs, and how to be prepared to be part of this fast changing, exciting, and challenging new environment. Among the key topics covered in this class are: Background: Foundation and Context · A brief history and evolution of AI as a technology · A review and critique of technology as it impacts society, from a media ecology perspective · Current social hopes and fears on the integration of generative AI into major parts of society ranging from education to impact on jobs, and cultural fears of runaway and rogue AIs. · AI Ethics: copyright, authorship, equity/bias, labor, propagation of misinformation and more · The business of AI: OpenAI, Google, Facebook, Meta, and Open Source Models Generative AI Impact on the Media · Where big data analytics and machine learning has already been integrated into media companies and the industry as a whole. What benefits and efficiencies it provided in areas ranging from HR, new content development, marketing, and customer/viewer engagement · Concerns and drawbacks in the use of AI in media, including impact on human creativity and imagination, innovation, labor issues, news reporting and journalism, and potential unanticipated impacts · Case studies: where AI is already well integrated into the industry and measuring results · Special segments on the use of AI in text, images, video and AR/VR AI, Jobs and the Evolving Media Industry · New and emerging types of jobs and key skills required. What is the future outlook? · Where to find the skills and training to qualify for AI jobs · How to locate AI related jobs in the industry · Keeping up with trends in AI and the media Course approach and format will include foundational readings, tracking current news stories and developments in AI, reviewing case studies from media companies that have integrated AI, guest speakers from media organizations, and regular class discussion and debate. Students will be expected to critique current ways AI is being integrated into the industry, present new ideas for the uses of AI, and have a chance to try out some AI creation. A final paper on a topic of the student’s choosing will also be required.