Assessing generative A.I. through the lens of the 2023 Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies: a collaborative autoethnography

Abstract

This brief research report examines claims made across contemporary media channels that generative artificial intelligence can be used to develop educational materials, in an experiment to develop a new course for advertising, PR and branding professionals. A collaborative auto-ethnography is employed to examine the journey and unintended consequences experienced by a non-technology lecturer engaging with generative AI for the first-time and is examined under the lens of the 2023 Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies. The researchers were able to map lived experiences to stages of the Gartner model, presenting evidence that this tool could have extended utility in the field of human resources for the support of technology integration projects. They also recorded several potential manifestations of symptoms related to the problematic use of Internet (PUI). The implications of the findings contribute to ongoing public discourse regarding the introduction of artificial intelligence within education, with insights for policy development and governance, as well as faculty and student wellbeing.