A Few Reading Notes

Conversations with Large Language Models

Periodically throughout this textbook, we have interactions with Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. For clarity, we will often use logos to represent and show the unedited responses of each AI tool in question. Mostly, we relied on the three primary foundation models at the time of diving into this project:

• Anthropic’s Claude
• Google’s Gemini
• OpenAI’s ChatGPT

But there is a wide range of models that exist, so we periodically include models from Meta and xAI.

• Meta’s Llama
• xAI’s Grok

Please note that these are our interpretations of logos, not the actual company logos, to avoid copyright infringement. In addition, we also use pictures of ourselves within the interactions to illustrate who engaged in the conversation with the AI:

• Dr. Sanae Elmoudden
• Dr. Jason S. Wrench

Figures and Images

When contemplating the use of images in this book, we wanted to ensure that the book was true to the world of AI but also retained a traditional textbook feel. For this reason, we decided to include Figures and GenAI Art (Generative AI Art). Figures are either actual photographs that we have used with a license appropriate for this book or figures that were created by the authors using traditional art software (primarily Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop). GenAI Art, on the other hand, is designated as such because some form of text-to-image software generates it. We use a range of different text-to-image generators throughout this text, which you can learn about in the description and licensing behind each image.

You may be wondering why this matters. As of right now (early 2025), the U.S. Copyright Office has offered guidance on which text-to-art end products are copyrightable and which are not.^[1] Currently, figures can be licensed under existing copyright, as we have done here, whereas GenAI Art cannot be licensed because it cannot be copyrighted. This legal differentiation may change in the future, but this is where it stands right now.

We should also note that text-to-image programs are far from perfect. Occasionally, you’ll end up with extra fingers or maybe a misspelled word (or two). Instead of fixing them in photo-editing software such as Photoshop, we left these “artifacts” as produced by the AI. Hopefully, the technology will get better and these mistakes will one day be a thing of the past. But for now, they are definitely part of using AI.

A Note on Our Use of Generative AI

In writing this book on AI literacy, we found ourselves in a unique position: we were discussing tools that could also help create the work themselves. Thus, we believe transparency about the use of AI in our writing process is essential, given our focus on developing a critical understanding of these technologies.

Throughout the development of this book, we employed various generative AI tools to enhance our writing process. These tools served as collaborators in several ways:

• Outlining chapters and structuring complex ideas
• Generating illustrative case studies and examples
• Helping define technical terminology in accessible language
• Breaking down complicated technical concepts into more digestible components
• Editing our work once we had drafted something in Word or other apps before it was placed into Pressbooks

This use of multiple generative AI platforms allowed us to experience and showcase the strengths and limitations of these different systems. Where specific AI tools were utilized, we’ve made efforts to identify them clearly. For instance, all AI-generated images in the book include metadata showing the specific model used in their creation. Similarly, the transcribed conversations with various AI models identify the tool used.

It would be paradoxical to write a book about AI literacy without engaging with the very tools we discuss. However, we want to emphasize that although generative AI played a supporting role in our process, the final product represents our own vision, expertise, and judgement. Every AI-generated element was critically evaluated, often extensively revised, and ultimately shaped by our perspectives and standards. Just as we don’t exhaustively catalog every research database or editing software used in our process, we haven’t documented every instance of AI assistance—such documentation would be impractical and would detract from the content itself.

The text you are reading is not a compilation of AI outputs, but rather a work that used these technologies as tools within a larger, human-directed creative and intellectual process. The analysis, arguments, and educational approach reflect our own thinking and pedagogical goals. In an age where the boundaries between human and machine-generated content can blur, we believe this kind of transparency about process is not just ethical but essential to the very AI literacy we hope to foster.

Acknowledgments

This book is the culmination of a year’s worth of research, writing, and collaborative effort. Such an undertaking would not have been possible without the support and contributions of many individuals and institutions.

First and foremost, we wish to express our profound gratitude to our families, whose patience, understanding, and encouragement sustained us throughout this intensive writing process. The countless hours spent researching and drafting often came at the expense of family time, and their unwavering support made this work possible.

We are indebted to our colleagues at SUNY New Paltz and St. John’s University. The intellectual community, constructive feedback, and institutional support provided by these academic homes have been invaluable. Special thanks to the faculty and staff who engaged with our ideas, challenged our thinking, and created the supportive environment necessary for this project to thrive. And thank you for listening to all our ramblings about AI over the past few years.

We extend our sincere appreciation to Allison Brown and the entire team at Milne Publishing for believing in this project and providing us with the platform and freedom to explore this evolving field. Their commitment to open educational resources and willingness to support innovative projects like this one show their dedication to advancing accessible education in emerging areas of study. We and the publishing team are also deeply grateful for the support of a generous community that came together to edit and proofread this text:

• Michele DeSilva
• Sascha Jimenez
• Asiah Khan
• Kim Krause
• Shruti Mehta
• Jennifer Mendoza
• Priya Sarda

This book would not exist without the groundbreaking work of the AI researchers, developers, and thought leaders who have pushed the boundaries of what’s possible. Their innovations have not only given us fascinating tools to analyze but have reshaped how we think about technology, creativity, and human-machine collaboration. While too numerous to name, we are grateful to all those in the AI community whose work has inspired, challenged, and informed our thinking.

We thank our students, whose curiosity, questions, and engagement with these technologies remind us why AI literacy matters. Their perspectives informed this book’s creation, and this project celebrates them.

Jason S. Wrench, SUNY New Paltz

Sanae Elmoudden, St. John’s University

Review Statement

The Future is Now was produced through Milne Open Textbooks, a Milne Library, SUNY Geneseo publishing initiative offering a collaborative model for publishing open textbooks. Critical to the success of this approach is including mechanisms to ensure that open textbooks produced with the community are high quality and meet the needs of all students and learners. 

This text was reviewed by one peer reviewer in its entirety, and by two reviewers in sections. These reviews were structured around considerations of the intended audience of the book, and examined the comprehensiveness, accuracy, and relevance of content, as well as longevity and cultural relevance. Changes suggested by the reviewers were incorporated by the lead author.

The authors would like to thank the reviewers for the time, care, and commitment they contributed to the project. We recognize that peer reviewing is a generous act of service on their part. This book would not be the robust, valuable resource that it is if not for their feedback and input:

• Tiffany Petricini, Ph.D.,  Associate Teaching Professor of Communication, Media and Communication
• Dr. Ng Tsz Kit Davy, Assistant Professor, The Education University of Hong Kong
• Alexis Clifton, Director, Teaching and Learning Center, SUNY Geneseo

Dedication

To the visionaries and pioneers of artificial intelligence—from Alan Turing and John McCarthy to Marvin Minsky and beyond—whose foundational work, bold imagination, and relentless curiosity opened pathways that seemed impossible only decades ago.

Your dreams have become our reality. Your future is our reality.