As an Art teacher, I think one of the obvious questions surrounding AI is whether it will eventually replace parts of Art and Design. If AI can generate convincing images, imitate styles and manipulate existing work with very little prompting, do students still need to draw, paint and physically make?
For me, the answer is still yes.
Where I find AI interesting is not in creating the final artwork, but in helping students reflect, refine and iterate.
Imagine an IB Visual Arts student who has spent weeks developing a painting but lacks confidence in what to do next. Sometimes students become frightened of ruining what they have already created. AI can give them a temporary glimpse of possibility: What if the composition changed? What if the background became darker? What if the scale or colour changed?
The AI version is not the artwork. It is simply a visual thinking tool that can help a student decide what they might want to try themselves.
I have also found this useful with younger students who are reluctant to draw. Sometimes they look at a half-finished piece and immediately decide, “I can’t do this.” Showing them what their own drawing could become with more time and development can help them see potential in what they have already started.
I certainly wouldn’t use AI in every lesson. There are important questions around originality, over-reliance and students avoiding the struggle that is part of learning to make art.
But when a student is stuck, lacks confidence or is afraid to take a creative risk, I think AI can be a powerful tool — not to make the artwork for them, but to help them see possibilities in their own work.
How are other Art and Design teachers using AI in the classroom?
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