On September 17, 2025, more than 300 IT community members from Harvard and Stanford came together to explore AI image generation and its impact on online platforms.
Facilitated by Tela Vessa, Learning Technology team lead in Educational Technology at the Stanford School of Medicine, and 2025-26 lead for Stanford Women in Technology + Allies (Stanford WIT+), the event unraveled how algorithms influence visual representation in the digital age.
Event highlights
Stephanie Gumble, Harvard University IT’s chief operating officer, and Steve Gallagher, Stanford University’s chief information officer, provided opening remarks, followed by a panel discussion. The panelists highlighted popular AI-imaging tools, presented research on emerging patterns and limitations, and shared expertise on how these technologies shape digital content and cultural narratives.
The panelists provided attendees with an overview of the strengths and challenges of AI image generation. To learn more about the panelists, visit the “AI Image Generation: Shaping Perception and Visual Influence” page.
- Dr. Douglas Guilbeault, assistant professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business: Guilbeault's work lies at the intersection of cultural sociology, cognitive science, machine learning, and organization studies.
- Nava Haghighi, Ph.D. candidate in Human-Computer Interaction, Stanford Computer Science: Haghighi's research examines the ontological assumptions—the boundaries of what we allow ourselves to imagine—embedded in the design of sociotechnical systems, with a focus on human-centered AI.
- Madeleine Woods, project lead for AI Initiatives, Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning: As a project lead, Woods designs tools that help faculty and students engage with AI as both a medium and a method for learning.
Takeaways for the IT community
- Explore the Stanford AI Playground: Leverage leading models and various platforms in a secure environment for experimentation and innovation.
- Recognize our power and agency as designers and developers: When using AI tools, remember we hold significant influence. For example, when crafting prompts for AI image generation, consider describing not only the image you want to generate but also how your prompts may encourage – or restrict – impartial and balanced images.
- Be intentional about “making room for multiplicity”: Ensure that the images we ask AI to create reflect a diverse and inclusive representation.
- Stay curious: Continue to explore AI and its impact on our daily work, lives, and society as a whole.
Additional resources
- Explore a summarized list of suggested actions, things to do, read, watch, and listen to, to support continual learning.
- View the AI Image Generation Sharing Perception and Visual Influence event slide presentation. Note: this event was not recorded.
