How product designers can use generative AI

+ 30 years later, Waco is rallying cry for extremists US Edition - Today's top story: DALL-E 2 and Midjourney can be a boon for industrial designers [View in browser]( US Edition | 28 February 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Rapid advances in generative AI – the kind that creates images or text in response to user prompts – have elicited worries about students cheating on papers and graphic artists losing their jobs. But it isn’t all doom and gloom. Juan Noguera, an assistant professor of design at the Rochester Institute of Technology, thinks this new technology can be a powerful tool in his field of industrial design, which is used to create electronic devices, cars and household goods. In fact, he’s already incorporating image-generation programs like DALL-E 2 and Midjourney into his and his students’ own design process. The designer’s critical thinking abilities and expertise cannot be mimicked by these programs, he notes. But [generative AI can serve as a springboard during the brainstorming stage](, helping designers channel abstract ideas and goals into workable prototypes. His students “all used AI in a different way,” Noguera writes, “but they all noted how it led them down an unexpected path.” Also today: - [Americans’ changing attitudes toward wolves]( - [SCOTUS punts on chance to rule on parody and free speech]( - [God does not have a gender in scripture and Christian tradition]( Nick Lehr Arts + Culture Editor A volcano-themed tissue box designed with the help of AI-assisted image generation. Juan Noguera [DALL-E 2 and Midjourney can be a boon for industrial designers]( Juan Noguera, Rochester Institute of Technology During the brainstorming stage of the design process, AI-powered image generation programs can open creative doors that may have otherwise never been accessed. Science + Technology - [One easy way to fight antibiotic resistance? Good hand hygiene]( Kristofer Wollein Waldetoft, Georgia Institute of Technology Using a mathematical model, researchers found that good hygiene can reduce the harmful effects of antibiotic use. Politics + Society - [Mocking the police got an Ohio man arrested – and the Supreme Court ignored The Onion’s plea to define the limits of parody]( Jane E. Kirtley, University of Minnesota A satirist posted a parody of a police Facebook page. He was arrested and jailed for four days. How far do free speech protections extend when it comes to satire about government? Ethics + Religion - [30 years later, Waco siege still resonates – especially among anti-government extremists]( Art Jipson, University of Dayton; Paul J. Becker, University of Dayton Waco has been used as a rallying cry for decades, two scholars of domestic extremism explain. - [Why the pronouns used for God matter]( Annie Selak, Georgetown University With the Church of England considering gender-neutral language to refer to God, a feminist theologian explains how Christianity has historically recognized many pronouns to refer to the divine. Environment + Energy - [Which state you live in matters for how well environmental laws protect your health]( Susan Kaplan, University of Illinois at Chicago An environmental health lawyer explains why some states have weaker rules than others, and how you can make your concerns heard. - [Wolf restoration in Colorado shows how humans are rethinking their relationships with wild animals]( Christopher J. Preston, University of Montana Less than a century ago, Colorado hunted, trapped and poisoned all the wolves within its borders. Today it’s restoring them – a change that reflects a profound shift in human thinking. Podcast 🎙️ - [Biologists discovered a new species of tiny owl on the forested island of Príncipe, and it’s already under threat]( Daniel Merino, The Conversation A local legend of a mysterious bird with big eyes grew into the discovery of the Príncipe scops owl. A biologist on the team tells the story of finding and cataloging this new species. From our international editions - [Jimmy Carter: the American president whose commitment to Africa went beyond his term]( - [‘Uncomfortable heritage’: how cities are repurposing former slaughterhouses]( - [ChatGPT and cheating: 5 ways to change how students are graded]( Today's graphic / Reader Comments 💬 [A chart explaining the blood pressure categories and what they mean.]( From the story, [Many Americans wrongly assume they understand what normal blood pressure is – and that false confidence can be deadly]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? 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