Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education is revolutionizing the learning environment, creating new possibilities for personalized and effective teaching approaches. This section offers carefully selected AI resources and strategies designed to empower adult education agencies, their staff, and adult learners.

Essential AI Guidelines for Effective Use

The Different Types of Generative AI and Its Applications

Generative AI is a type of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that creates new content by recognizing and applying patterns from the data it has been trained on. This content can take many forms, including text, images, audio, video, or even interactive media, making it a truly multimodal technology. Since the release of ChatGPT, generative AI has grown rapidly, with new tools emerging daily and existing platforms continuously expanding and refining their capabilities.

For adult education providers, this growth offers an opportunity to tailor learning experiences for students, supplement existing teaching practices, and expand access to resources, helping learners develop skills for both education and the workforce.

Think of AI like a calculator and its ability to process complex inputs and produce results in seconds. The difference is that AI works like a language-based calculator, capable of working across text, images, audio, video, and more. While a calculator always produces the same answer to a math problem, AI responses can vary, offering similar information in different formats, tones, or levels of detail.

A few key differences from a calculator:

AI does not always reach the exact same response, even with identical prompts.
AI allows room for creativity, customization, and conversions across multiple formats or modalities.
There are many AI tools available, some better suited for specific tasks than others.

To help simplify things, we’ve grouped AI tools into three categories:

AI Chatbots - Flexible, open-ended conversations
Integrated All-in-1 AI Tools - AI built into suites you already use
Task-Specific AI Tools - Focused tools that produce specialized outputs

Click on each tab below to view the information regarding each category.

What are Integrated All-in-1 AI Tools?
Integrated All-in-1 AI tools take the capabilities of AI chatbots and build them directly into existing platforms. While it’s possible to integrate tools like Brisk or ChatGPT using plug-ins or add-ons, organizations like Google, Canva, and Microsoft have developed their own AI models and integrated them into their suite of tools. This enables seamless brainstorming, creation, formatting, and more, without switching between separate applications or third-party AI Chatbots.

When can you use All-in-1 AI Tools?
All-in-1 AI tools allow you to create and modify information much like AI chatbots, but with the advantage of working directly within your current workflow. Examples include:

Organizing new or existing content into other formats
Converting a text document into a slide deck or reformatting notes into a report.

Receiving support on platform-specific features
For example, asking for help formatting tables in Google Sheets or generating charts in Excel.

Streamlining multi-step tasks in one workspace
Use the AI to brainstorm, draft, edit, and finalize work without leaving the platform, reducing time spent switching between tools.

Where Can I Get Started?

If your district uses Google Workspace for Education or Microsoft Office Suite, Google Gemini or Microsoft Copilot may already be available. Below are a few AI options that can get you started:

Google Gemini is integrated across Docs, Sheets, Gmail, and Slides for writing, summarizing, data analysis, and creative generation.

Microsoft Copilot is built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, assisting with writing, formatting, and data insights.

If your school or agency has access to Canva, Canva Magic Studio offers embedded AI tools for generating images, writing copy, editing media, and transforming designs without leaving the platform.

Curipod combines AI-generated lessons with interactive presentations, enabling lesson creation, activities, and even AI-powered feedback on student writing.

Honorary Mention

Companies like Samsung, Google, Apple, and Microsoft are integrating AI into the operating systems for smartphones and computers. Examples where you can see AI being integrated are rewriting messages, editing photos, and transcribing voicemails.

Coming soon: Click here to access our interactive table with more AI Tools and their capabilities.

What are AI Chatbots?

Chatbots are messaging-style platforms where users can submit a message and receive a response, similar to a text or social media exchange. In the AI world, made popular by ChatGPT, what you send is called a prompt, and what you receive is the AI response. Chatbots vary in capabilities depending on the platform. Some support not only text-based responses but also images, PDFs, voice, and even video.

When can you use Chatbots?

AI chatbots can be used for a wide variety of tasks and are only limited by your creativity. Here are some ways you can use them:

Appears knowledgeable in multiple areas
Chatbots are trained on large amounts of data and can answer questions across many subjects, making them great research and brainstorming companions.

Simulate natural conversations
Many chatbots are designed to sound human-like, helping users practice interviews, conversations, or presentations in a supportive, low-pressure environment.

Create searches and digital resources
They can help generate curated resources, summaries, or guides from search queries and even design digital content like presentations or lesson plans.

Where Can I Get Started?

We recommend to check with your district’s IT department to see available AI guidelines, trainings or approved tools. Below we have a few recommendations on where you can get started:

You can't go wrong with ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Microsoft Copilot as your starter. These tools share flexible, conversational responses and multimodal capabilities, such as uploading files or using voice.

Pi AI focuses on empathy and emotional intelligence, providing opportunity for reflective conversations, coaching-style dialogue, and mental wellness check-ins.

Brisk Teaching is tailored for educators, helping create leveled texts, assignments, and assessments from uploaded curriculum or student data.

Coming soon: Click here to access our interactive table with more AI Tools and their capabilities.

What are Task-Specific AI Tools?

Task-specific AI tools are designed to perform one or a few specific functions exceptionally well. Unlike general AI chatbots, which are open-ended, these tools guide users through a set process or format to generate predictable, targeted results. They’re especially valuable for educators, learners, and professionals who want ready-to-use outputs without having to build them from scratch.

In some instances, like AI-image generators, they may provide better results than all-in-one

When Can You Use Task-Specific Tools?

These tools are ideal when you need quick, consistent results in a specialized format. Examples include:

Generating structured learning materials
Create leveled reading passages, quizzes, or vocabulary lists tailored to a specific audience and needs.

Creating interactive activities or games
Use AI to build assistance in drag-and-drop activities, flashcards, or scenario-based simulations.

Automating repetitive content creation
Produce worksheets, assessments, or other recurring materials without manually designing each one.

Where Can I Get started?
Here are a few task-specific AI tools you can explore to get started. Each focuses on a clearly defined outcome:

Teacher Material Support

Diffit generates leveled reading passages, comprehension questions, activities, and vocabulary lists from any topic, text, YouTube video, or URL. Great for consistent, reliable output tailored to different reading levels.
Magic School AI offers a suite of educator tools for lesson plans, rubrics, parent communication drafts, and more. Ideal for when you need assistance across multiple instructional areas.
Notebook LM from Google allows you to upload your documents or notes and have AI summarize, answer questions, and connect ideas within your content.

Image and Video Generation

Many AI platforms, including ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Canva, offer built-in image generation.
Adobe Firefly specializes in high-quality AI-generated images, videos, text effects, and design elements.
Sora is an AI video generation tool that can create short, realistic video clips from text prompts (currently in limited release).

Interactive Activity Building

Quizizz uses AI to generate quizzes, polls, and interactive activities from your lesson content.
Kahoot! suggests and creates gamified quiz questions to engage learners.
Educaplay builds AI-assisted activities like crosswords, matching games, and interactive quizzes.

Coming soon: Click here to access our interactive table with more AI Tools and their capabilities.

Essential AI Guidelines for Effective Use

AI can be a powerful partner in education, but it’s important to use it thoughtfully and responsibly. The Essential AI Guidelines for Effective Use infographic will help you maximize AI’s benefits while protecting privacy, ensuring fairness, and maintaining accuracy. By following these best practices, you can integrate AI into your teaching and learning environments with confidence and purpose.

You can also access our Using AI to Enhance sections to see examples of how AI can support learners in different content areas. Click on any of the buttons below for in-context examples in that content area.

Resources

Digital ATDN Specific Resources

Digital ATDN's AI Prompt Builder | Preview | With Scripts | No Scripts

The AI Prompt Builder is an excellent tool for supporting both novice and experienced adult education practitioners in creating effective prompts for engaging with Large Language Models (LLM) AI. Simply make a copy of the document to start building your prompts.

Please note: The scripted version includes an automatic 'reset' feature for the prompt page, while the non-scripted version is available for agencies with usage restrictions.

Knowledge Bytes Series: AI-Powered Teaching: Educate, Elevate, Differentiate Series | Digital ATDN Website

This page provides staff with access to all presentations, recordings, and tools introduced during our AI-Powered Teaching series. The series. Each session was designed to equip educators, administrators, and lifelong learners with the knowledge and skills to harness the power of AI in adult education.

Other Recommended Resources

AI Integration Framework | Website

This framework from Workforce EdTech serves as a guide for integrating AI in education and training with diverse adult learners and workers. It covers six key dimensions, addressing educational goals, biases, ethics, and privacy. Each dimension includes targeted questions and resources to ensure a thorough, human-centered evaluation of AI use, promoting informed decision-making.

AI for Education | Website

This collection of lessons and videos will introduce students to A.I. and to think critically about its impact on society. Additional resources include educator training courses, articles, and webinars.

The AI for Education offers a two-hour course designed to help educators get started using ChatGPT to save time, engage students, and implement AI responsibly.
The Gen AI Chatbot Prompt Library includes a variety of prompts that can help you create lesson plans, assessments, guidelines, and more across different academic contexts and scenarios.
Find additional AI implementation strategies in the Downloadable Resources.

AI Literacy Lessons | Common Sense Media

Discover AI in Daily Life | Google Applied Digital Skills Lesson

This lesson covers how AI is used in your day-to-day activities. A great introductory lesson to understand what AI is, how you already use AI, and how to efficiently use AI as a tool throughout daily activities. Excellent for adult education staff and learners.

EdTech's Open Prompt Book from CampGPT | Website

In CampGPT, educators experimented with generative AI-enabled tools like chatbots and image generators to learn and explore together. Their work and insights have been compiled in the Open Prompt Book from CampGPT. Throughout this prompt book, you’ll learn more about generative AI, what educators use it for, and key tips and tricks.

News Literacy Project | Website

News Literacy's approach to information literacy provides an excellent way to put into context the AI use with misinformation, bias, fact checking, and more through activities, quizzes, lessons, and more.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The Different Types of Generative AI and Its Applications

Essential AI Guidelines for Effective Use

Resources

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