Your artistic journey at the Academy starts with building the foundational skills that lead to the acquisition of a true artist’s eye. Then we teach you how to use AI to explore the unlimited horizons of that vision. We’ll teach you the skills required to use AI—generative text, imagery, anything—for concepting, iterating, and refining your ideas.
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Knowledge is Power – Art and AI at the Academy
At Academy of Art University, we believe that the key to harnessing the power of generative AI lies in understanding both its possibilities and ethical uses. Without the input and guidance of a trained artist, AI-generated content is second-rate. When paired with an artist’s guiding vision, however, AI offers unprecedented opportunities for creative exploration, rapid prototyping, and 21st-century employment. Academy President Dr. Elisa Stephens explains the Academy’s innovative approach to teaching AI in this enlightening video.
Faculty Insights: How AI Is Taught At The Academy
Like any new tool or technology, AI is something to be embraced, not feared. Our courses will teach you to:
Master the use of tools like Chat GPT, Midjourney, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, Vizcom, and more
Understand the ethics and guidelines around the use of AI assets
Recognize how AI is being integrated into creative workflows in the real world
AI-Centric Courses
The Academy offers 17 unique, AI-centric, discipline-specific art and design courses. Our AI for Everyone and AI-Empowered Creativity courses have no prerequisites.
Undergraduate Courses:
ADV 434
AI for Advertising
AI is changing the advertising landscape! This exploration into the creative development process includes an overview of AI and how it can be used to develop and optimize your creative work. You will develop your creativity, learn how to collaborate effectively, and understand the importance of research in the advertising industry. (This course is cross-listed with ADV 634.)
ADV 434
AI for Advertising
COM 130
AI for Everyone
Enter the world of generative AI and discover how it can transform design across various fields, including graphic design, advertising, fashion, photography, and architecture. Utilize tools like ChatGPT, MidJourney, Adobe Firefly, DALL-E, and Meta AI to enhance creativity, streamline processes, and innovate within your creative workflow. Engage in hands-on projects to apply AI in real-world scenarios, making your designs more efficient and future-ready.
COM 130 AI for Everyone
GR 436
AI for Designers
You will embark on an immersive journey, blending traditional principles with multiple AI applications to develop portfolio quality design work. Beginning with an exploration of AI’s impact on graphic design and ethical considerations, the course progresses through fundamental design principles, generative AI applications, seamless workflow integration, and collaborative concept generation. [This course is cross-listed with GR 636.]
GR 436 AI for Designers
IND 303
AI in Object Design
You will learn to design objects using Generative Artificial Intelligence. Delve into integrating AI techniques in the creative process, including defining a design objective, developing a design research strategy, creating mood boards and sketches, and employing creative prompting to generate concepts. [This course is cross-listed with IND 703.]
IND 303
AI in Object Design
IND 363
Digital Imaging with Emerging Tools
Enhance your portfolio with our comprehensive visualization course. Refine your work through an in-depth digital process, assessing past and current projects to highlight your best work. Utilize emerging tools like AI, VR, and AR to elevate your creative process and showcase your abilities. (This course is cross-listed with IND 763.)
IND 363
Digital Imaging with Emerging Tools
MUS 120
Music Production 1
Digital audio workstation technology is at the heart of music production today. Learn foundational skills in the use of DAW technology, MIDI, synthesizers, samplers, loops, and multi-track music production, while learning to construct musical ideas effectively.
MUS 120
Music Production 1
PH 331
AI for Visual Artists
You will receive a framework for understanding and engaging with the rapidly evolving landscape of AI. Historical and ethical considerations will be discussed. Through creative exploration, you’ll learn to leverage text-to-image and large language model AI tools to integrate creative, generative AI in the image-making process of the industry today.
PH 331
AI for Visual Artists
Graduate Courses:
ADV 634
AI for Advertising
AI is changing the advertising landscape! This exploration into the creative development process includes an overview of AI and how it can be used to develop and optimize your creative work. You will develop your creativity, learn how to collaborate effectively, and understand the importance of research in the advertising industry. (This course is cross-listed with ADV 434.)
ADV 634
AI for Advertising
COM 605
AI-Empowered Creativity
Thrive in the evolving AI landscape by mastering strategy, research, and design with AI insights. This course equips you with the proficiency to adapt and innovate in brand communications in a tech-driven industry. Using the latest AI tools, you will create a brand, the products, and the marketing materials to launch it with an AI-integrated marketing campaign, demonstrating your ability to synthesize and apply your learned skills effectively.
COM 605
AI-Empowered Creativity
GR 636
AI for Designers
You will embark on an immersive journey, blending traditional principles with multiple AI applications to develop portfolio quality design work. Beginning with an exploration of AI’s impact on graphic design and ethical considerations, the course progresses through fundamental design principles, generative AI applications, seamless workflow integration, and collaborative concept generation. [This course is cross-listed with GR 436.]
GR 636
AI for Designers
IND 703
AI in Object Design
You will learn to design objects using Generative Artificial Intelligence. Delve into integrating AI techniques in the creative process, including defining a design objective, developing a design research strategy, creating mood boards and sketches, and employing creative prompting to generate concepts. [This course is cross-listed with IND 303.]
IND 703 AI in Object Design
IND 763
Digital Imaging with Emerging Tools
Enhance your portfolio with our comprehensive visualization course. Refine your work through an in-depth digital process, assessing past and current projects to highlight your best work. Utilize emerging tools like AI, VR, and AR to elevate your creative process and showcase your abilities. (This course is cross-listed with IND 363.)
IND 763 Digital Imaging with Emerging Tools
IXD 600
Digital Graphics
Use the right tools to make the most of your designs. Get a foundation in industry-standard Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop and utilize them in immersive design projects.
IXD 600
Digital Graphics
IXD 750
Product Innovation with Generative AI
Leverage the potential of Artificial Intelligence in product design! Through an understanding of AI technology and generative AI design principles students will learn to create adaptive user experiences that seamlessly integrate AI technology and content culminating in product prototypes and case studies.
IXD 750
Product Innovation with Generative AI
MUS 609
Music Production with Logic Pro
Begin an advanced exploration of music production within the sophisticated framework of Apple’s Logic Pro X software. Enhance your proficiency in MIDI composition, master dynamic rhythmic frameworks, enhance song arrangement, and seamlessly integrate audio with video components.
MUS 609 Music Production with Logic Pro
MUS 705
Experimental Sound Design and Synthesis
Explore the world of experimental sound design and sound synthesis. Learn classic techniques like subtractive, additive, and FM synthesis and use tools like Logic Alchemy. Enjoy abstract uses of sound and music, audio art installations, and experimental technology. Discover how sound synthesis and experimentation will help you gain a larger and more creative perspective to enrich your career as a sonic artist. [This course is cross-listed with MUS 425.]
MUS 705 Experimental Sound Design and Synthesis
PH 631
Creative AI for Visual Artists
You will learn to design objects using Generative Artificial Intelligence. Delve into integrating AI techniques in the creative process, including defining a design objective, developing a design research strategy, creating mood boards and sketches, and employing creative prompting to generate concepts. [This course is cross-listed with IND 703.]
PH 631
Creative AI for Visual Artists
Additional Courses
Explore classes across our curriculum where we invite you to use AI.
