Integrating Generative Artificial Intelligence to a Project-Based Tangible Interaction Course

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), including large language and image models, have created new opportunities for pervasive computing education. How do we integrate emerging AI models and tools into our courses in a way that fosters critical engagement? How do we teach students to use AI models and tools responsibly, thoughtfully, and ethically, while being aware of their capabilities and limitations? In this article, we share insights from integrating generative AI tools and machine learning (ML) models into a project-based undergraduate tangible and embodied interaction (TEI) course by employing co-creation processes. TEI is an evolving area within human–computer interaction, which focuses on integrating computation into our daily physical environments and objects, thus fostering an embodied, multisensory, and often collaborative interaction experience. We use the term co-creation to describe a process, where humans and AI work together to create new artifacts or solve a problem. We integrated structured co-creation activities into various phases of the project including ideation, conceptual design, and prototyping. We describe practical ways and learning goals for integrating emerging generative AI tools and ML models into the project design process, provide insight on how novice interaction designers iterate and collaborate with generative AI and ML models, and reflect on the merits and limitations of using generative AI tools and ML models for project-based interaction design courses for pervasive computing.