This lesson focuses on common platforms and tools to harness generative AI to support work, instruction, and learning in higher education. Generative AI is integrated into hundreds of different platforms that can analyze and generate text, images, code, music, video, and more. This lesson includes top tools currently available for both text and image generation.

• Many of these tools have similar broad capabilities to analyze and generate human-like text and perform complex tasks.
• Many also offer their free versions via a mobile app, which can save you time by using voice commands for your prompts.
• Most offer more advanced versions for a subscription fee.
• Each tool differs slightly in its abilities and areas of expertise, customization options, and privacy features.

The below list of text and image generation platforms is not exhaustive, as more tools are appearing on the market, both free and fee-based (or a combination of the two, depending on the features offered).

Text Generation

ChatGPT (OpenAI)

This tool has revolutionized conversational AI, using natural language processing to create humanlike conversational dialogue. It is available in a free version or a premium one; the latter is based on a more sophisticated underlying language model, GPT-4, with advanced features, image generation, and customizable GPTs.

Gemini AI (Google) 

A conversational AI chat tool that can analyze and generate both text and images. Previously known as Bard.

Copilot (Microsoft)

Has combined its search engine with the underlying technology for ChatGPT, offering free access to OpenAI’s more sophisticated GPT-4 underlying model. Formerly known as Bing, Copilot also offers image generation and analysis.

Claude AI (Anthropic) 

Another conversational tool, considered by many to be close in quality to premium ChatGPT. It can analyze images and text, but cannot create images.

Perplexity.ai

Doesn’t require a login and combines search output with various underlying models. It can be useful as a research companion, able to search and provide links to sources online.

Poe.com

Lets users customize your chatbot including choosing which underlying model to use.

Image Generation

DALL-E 3

OpenAI’s latest iteration of its image and art generation AI tool. Users can either prompt it to generate a new image or add an existing image and prompt it to edit the image to meet certain specifics. A main point of access for Dall-E 3 is now through ChatGPT or Copilot.

Midjourney 

Allows users to transform single words, phrases, or sentences into photo-realistic images.

Craiyon

A free AI image generator – previously known as DALL·E mini – that includes upgraded features, such as no watermark, on a subscription basis.

Ideogram

A free text-to-image generator. It supports a diverse set of image style tags and can render coherent text inside images.

Firefly

Adobe’s image generator with text prompts in over 100 languages. Includes a free version.

Stable Diffusion

Easy-to-use interface that includes a free version.

The ways we encounter these systems are constantly shifting. One trend is toward integrating AI into existing software like Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or Office Suite. Another trend is toward multimodal, more agent-like systems that “decide” to do multiple kinds of things, such as ChatGPT Premium. These systems are not discrete text generators but systems that will also run code, search the web, generate and analyze images, and more.

A few examples of the continually growing list of (currently free) tools integrating generative AI include:

• Canva’s Magic Design – auto-creates and edits images, videos, presentations, and more
• ChatPDF – upload any PDF, and then interact with AI about the content.
• Socratic by Google mobile app – upload photos of any homework for answers with visual explanations.
• Kapwing – turn text prompts into videos complete with narration, images, and music.

Evaluating AI Tools & Platforms

Feeling Overwhelmed? The Curious Educator’s Guide to AI includes the “Rubric for AI Tool Evaluation,” which provides a framework for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of AI tools based on a set of criteria, including functionality, accessibility, privacy, as well as pedagogical, ethical, and environmental considerations.

By evaluating these key areas, you can make informed judgments about the suitability of AI tools, ensuring that they align with your needs. There are two versions available. The Fundamental Criteria version will allow you to perform an initial evaluation of a tool. The In-Depth Criteria version introduces more categories and criteria, facilitating a deeper examination of a tool.