A mural designed by a third party for Shenandoah University was not created with the use of artificial intelligence (AI), according to a member of university administration.
Art students and alumni raised concerns about the mural, which is intended to honor veterans, because they recognized the use of AI elements in the design.
Shenandoah University Provost Dr. Karen Abraham said that the mural’s design was not generated with AI and the commissioned artist and the project’s sponsor confirmed with her that AI was not used.
“We are excited to support this project, which honors the service of our faculty, staff and students who are veterans. The mural’s theme, ‘Above and Beyond,’ recognizes their past contributions and looks forward to their future endeavors after their service. Our own veterans group at Shenandoah University has been directly involved in the discussions surrounding this mural, including elements of its design, from the start,” Abraham said.
According to Abraham, art students learned about AI-generated imagery in a class this semester and identified a couple of elements of AI in the mural’s design. She said they assumed that AI was used without investigation or confirmation.
Aislinn Coghlan is a junior at Shenandoah University majoring in Collaborative Audio Arts. She and her classmates in Foundations of Art & Design class learned about the mural in late February or early March.
“Initially, we were kind of excited to hear about it,” Coghlan, who is from Columbia, Maryland, said.
Their teacher, Professor Abby Gomez, presented the mural design to the class and students provided feedback. Later, they saw the final design for the mural, which was not the design they had previously seen. From what they had learned in class of AI designs, they determined some of the final design was created with AI. Coghlan said that she and her classmates felt their input was not considered and was only gathered out of obligation.
From the energy of her class, Coghlan was encouraged to start a petition against the mural to raise awareness and let others know of the project.
“We were hoping this was going to be a collaborative project,” Coghlan said of the possibility of members of the class painting the mural.
She attended an interest meeting last week but not much information was offered and she said it seemed that communication had broken down between the university and the students.
In some of Coghlan’s other art classes, they have discussed the impact of AI on creative spaces.
“I think that it lies in an ethical gray area. I think it is a tool that can be useful,” Coghlan said of AI in general. AI can help students with grammar in their school work, but Coghlan is otherwise not a fan. “I think, when we rely on AI to do a lot of things, it creates a learned helplessness.”
She said that she and her classmates would be all right with the mural if AI elements were removed.
“I think a mural honoring veterans is a good cause. I just think they should have a good mural,” she said.
The plan is to paint the mural on the patio at Shingleton Hall, an academic building which houses the university’s art major and dance classes. Coghlan and her classmates think the mural should reflect the talent of students at Shenandoah University. The art major is new and growing at the university and the mural may misrepresent the goal of the art major.
“We have so many talented students and faculty at this school and they totally could have come up with an idea,” Coghlan said.
Navy Federal Credit Union began the project two years ago and commissioned an artist who is a veteran to design the mural. NFCU originally wanted the mural painted on the exterior of a building called the Hive, which houses entrepreneurship, veterans and a technology center at the university. However, the federal funding used to build the Hive would not allow for the mural to be painted on it.
“The intention was never for it to be collaborative, which seems even more frustrating to me,” Coghlan said.
Coghlan’s petition has collected nearly 400 signatures.
Painting of the mural is scheduled to begin April 21.
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Shenandoah University students, alumni unhappy with mural’s use of AI
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Rebecca Barnabi
