PR Case Studies class hosts Socratic dialogue on “AI Takeover”

Artificial intelligence can already do many things that, until recently, have largely been done by humans alone, from reading and writing to deciphering emotions.

But is it dangerous?

On Dec. 6, a panel convened by students in this year’s senior public relations class PR Case Studies took part in a Socratic dialogue – an organized debate in which the group sought to reach a consensus – to consider the phenomenon of artificial intelligence and whether it promises a utopian or dystopian future.

Dr. Carl Hausman, a professor of journalism in Rowan University’s Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts, moderated the discussion among four communication faculty members, an administrator and a public relations executive.

From the start, AI was more than just the topic of conversation but a physical presence in the room as, Hausman explained, all materials related to it, from a printed brochure to an introductory video, were generated with artificial intelligence.

AI is “a medium in its infancy,” Hausman began. “What’s interesting to me is the ethics, what it will become.”

Already at issue for college students and faculty, as well as the threat (or benefit) it may bring to many professionals, is the online chatbot ChatGPT, which can write essays, news articles, advertising copy, even legal briefs, though not (for now) necessarily well.

Professor Joseph Basso, chair of the Department of Public Relations & Advertising and a practicing attorney, said he’s skeptical about the ethical and legal implications of AI – and it’s just getting started.

Noting that the software “scrapes” material from online sources, Basso said it’s “stealing stuff and remaking it.”

“As with most things, the courts will be woefully behind,” in parsing proper use of the technology, Basso said.

He noted potential issues of plagiarism, of stealing intellectual property, and of projected threats AI poses to many fields, including the law.

“Technology has advanced our civilization, but this is a little scary,” Basso said. “We have no idea what’s on the other side.”

Biomedical art Professor Amanda Almon said though the technology may pose a threat in some areas, “scraping” the internet for data and repurposing it, she believes hers is a field that’s too new for it to imitate well.

“AI needs tens of thousands, if not millions of images, in our field to get it right,” and that volume does not yet exist, Almon said.

Among AI’s strongest proponents on the panel, executive Chris Lukach, president and owner of AKCG Public Relations in Glassboro, said he’s “super bullish on AI” but that he and his associates use it strategically and never input sensitive client data.

“AI is pretty good at first drafts,” he said.

For example, “I might have someone write a first draft (of a news release or other material), have ChatGPT write another, and compare them,” he said.

Likewise, Bob Bullard, Rowan’s assistant vice president for External Engagement and Professional Success, said when his team advises students in job searches, they recommend using AI for tasks like resume writing.

“You have to lean into technology that’s coming into your field,” he said. “Utilize it for (mundane) things it’s good at to give you more time to do things people are good at.”

Ethics in the classroom

Dr. Leslie Allison, a professor of Writing Arts who has published on the academic use of AI, said just as faculty must now consider whether to allow student use of the software for projects, students might be concerned about whether professors use it to read and grade assignments.

“The nightmare scenario is it becomes machines talking to machines,” she said.

Considering how much data generative AI absorbs, Hausman pressed Dr. Olga Vilceanu, an associate professor in the Department of Public Relations & Advertising, on whether she sees anything “sinister” in its development.

Vilceanu noted AI’s use in a variety of fields, from the creation of high-end Japanese anime to holographic concerts. (A holographic tour of the late singer Whitney Houston, who died in 2012, ran from 2020-23.)

AI is already ubiquitous, from film to medicine to machinery (including in self-driving cars and weaponry).

While Vilceanu did not say it’s necessarily sinister, she said humanity must be wary.

“ChatGPT is already a black box, already a runaway train,” she said. “As humans, we can never abdicate any skill.”