Syllabus¶
Course Structure Overview¶
First, we gather insights about AI in general and generative AI (GenAI) in particular. We explore key technologies, tools, and applications in media contexts. Students will present on specific tools and conduct a small project using one or more AI applications. Then we discuss ethical, societal and environmental implications of GenAI.
| Part | Topics | Type | Sessions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction & Foundations (Theory) | Lecture + Discussion | 3 - 5 |
| 2 | GenAI Tools & Applications (Practice) | Showcase + Demos + Projects | 5 - 6 |
| 3 | Implications of GenAI (Ethics, Society, Environment) | Discussion + Debate + Talks | 3 - 4 |
(Preliminary) Weekly Breakdown¶
Last update: 2026-03-12
| Calendar Week | Topic | Type | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Introduction and course Overview | Administration + Activity | |
| 13 | History and basics of AI | Lecture + Discussion | Review mind map task |
| 14 | Basics of AI | Lecture + Discussion | |
| 16 | Generative AI paradigms | Lecture + Discussion | Decision for topic |
| 17 | Foundation models | Lecture + Discussion | Plan for presentation |
| 18 | AI in the industry | Activity | Hochschulkontaktbörse |
| 19 | Theory presentations | Student presentations | First topics |
| 20 | Theory presentations | Student presentations | Remaining topics |
| 21 | GenAI tool and project idea presentation | Student presentations + Discussion | Continue working with the tool |
| 23 | Working on projects | Personal review | Have a complete project plan |
| 24 | Working on projects | Student presentations | |
| 25 | Final presentation of projects | Student presentations | |
| 26 | Reflection on using AI in creative processes | Discussion | |
| 27 | Consequences of using AI in creative processes | Discussion | |
| 28-30 | Colloquium | Discussion |
Grading & Deliverables¶
Theory presentation (30%)¶
- An application or field will be presented (e.g., text, image, ...) and a tool is chosen for deeper exploration.
- Deliverables: Presentation of exactly 15 minutes, then 5 - 15 minutes Q&A, hand-out (pdf) summarizing key points.
- The presentation (and the hand-out) shall cover:
- Overview of the application area
- Key models and architectures
- Relevant tools and frameworks
- Example use cases and demos
- Challenges and future directions
- Evaluation is based on clarity, depth of research, and engagement.
- List all references and tools used in the hand-out.
GenAI tool and project presentation (40%)¶
- Small-scale experiment using a GenAI tool
- Deliverables: Live demo (15 minutes including Q&A), documentation
Participation (30%)¶
- Active participation in sessions, discussions, and activities, including peer feedback
Tools & Resources¶
- We will use a variety of AI tools. We will compare local installations with cloud-based services.
- We will use Google Colab for cloud-based experiments and collaboration.
- We will use Ollama to run large language models (LLMs) locally on our machines.
Reading / Resources¶
- Selected articles, papers, and videos will be provided throughout the course.