Temasek Polytechnic at the Forefront of AI with Launch of First Experimental Studio for Design and Generative AI in an Educational Institution
Post Date: 09 Jan 2024
Temasek Polytechnic (TP) has launched Singapore’s first experimental design studio in an educational institution that harnesses the capabilities of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Design students can now learn and experiment with generative AI as part of the design process through the Interactive Digital Experiments with AI Studio (IDEAS). The launch of IDEAS on 3 January 2024 is part of ongoing efforts to embrace AI technologies as part of TP’s educational strategy for better learning and teaching. This is aligned to the National AI Strategy (NAIS) 2.0 which aims to harness AI in uplifting our people and businesses.
“While debates on the use of AI continue all over the world today, TP School of Design believes that the use of generative AI will be an important design tool that will augment human creativity, not replace it. We believe in keeping our students up to date on the latest developments in the tech world and to embrace the concept of AI as an ally to design. This also aligns with Singapore’s National AI Strategy, which seeks to expand the use of AI within the education sector,” said Ms Elaine Ho, Director, Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Design.
The launch is ahead of TP's Open house happening from 4 – 6 January 2024. Visitors can visit the studio during the Open House where they can preview how generative AI technologies are part of TP’s educational strategy, among other highlights of campus life.
Partnerships With Industries
The new studio at the TP School of Design incorporates cutting-edge technology in design education through the use of generative AI tools, featuring software and collaborations with industry leaders Adobe and local design firm Stuck Design. With the use of various forms of generative AI software, the School has created adaptations that are tailored to its learning and teaching needs. The studio will be open to all students from the School of Design, design professionals from industry as well as secondary school students who may wish to be introduced to generative AI concepts using a hands-on approach.
Harnessing AI for Design Education
IDEAS will augment efforts where generative AI is already used in the development of curriculum and within design project work. For example, 90% of the Digital Innovation subject run by the Diploma in Communication Design has been designed with the assistance of ChatGPT. In addition, students in the Interior Architecture & Design course are already using the metaverse as a testbed for their designs with the help of virtual agents powered by AI.
Upskilling Students in AI
To upskill students in generative AI, TP School of Design will also provide students with licences to utilise a suite of Adobe products leveraging on generative AI capabilities. Additionally, students will be able to experiment with Hypersketch, a newly developed generative AI application from Stuck Design. More than 25 students across all five design disciplines have also come together to form the School’s first DES X AI student interest group. The group has already gone through AI workshops organised by Meta and are also part of a student exchange with Curtin University (Perth, Australia) working on a design project using AI, titled Designer Unknown: Exploring Creative Horizons with AI.
The School of Design has also taken the lead in training staff and students across TP, as well as external organisations such as the Joint-Polytechnic Libraries (JPL), in generative AI. These courses, which teach the structure and art of crafting powerful prompts for generative AI programmes like ChatGPT will eventually be rolled out to more users, including members of the public.
Beyond the classroom, TP has also leveraged on AI to improve administrative efficiency and student well-being.
