Unexpected Possibilities with AI & Images

When to Use This Activity

This activity serves as an eye-opening introduction to multimodal AI capabilities. It's particularly effective early in a workshop when you want to:

• Show that modern AI goes far beyond just text
• Create "wow moments" that spark imagination
• Demonstrate immediate practical applications

The power of this activity lies in its surprise factor - most employees don't realize they can use AI to both generate and analyze images in their daily work.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Discover the dual nature of AI image capabilities: generation and vision
• Identify practical applications for image-based AI in daily work
• Understand when to use image generation vs. vision capabilities

Activity Overview

Cards

You'll need these cards to explore the key image-based workflows:

Materials Needed

• The mat
• Access to an AI assistant for live demos (or pre-recorded demos as backup)
• Optional: Screenshots of common workplace materials (slides, documents, charts)

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Opening Hook

Start with these two questions:

How many of you have tried generating images with AI?

Wait for hands to go up, then follow with:

And how many have tried showing an image to AI and asking it questions about it?

Usually very few hands - this sets up the revelation to come.

Step 2: Explore Image Generation

Setup the Text-to-Image Flow

Place the Text Input card on the left and the Image Output card on the right. Then say:

This combination represents one of the most popular AI capabilities - turning our words into images. But beyond the fun of creating art, let's discover how this helps in our daily work.

Collaborative Use Case Discovery

Instead of a traditional brainstorm, guide participants through this sequence:

Think about the last presentation or document you worked on. What visual did you need - maybe a chart, a diagram, or an icon? Turn to your neighbor and share how you actually got that visual - did you make it yourself? Find it online? Ask someone else?

After pairs discuss, bring it back to AI:

Now, let's explore how AI could have helped in each of these situations.

Strategic Demo Selection

Choose one of these proven demos based on your audience:

• For presentations: Generate engaging background images or abstract visuals
• For marketing: Create social media visuals, product lifestyle photos, or mood boards
• For communications: Generate scene illustrations or concept visualizations

Optional: Understanding Limitations

Some types of images work better than others:

• Works Well:
  • Background images and abstract visuals
  • Scene illustrations (like "office meeting", "factory floor")
  • Lifestyle photos for marketing
  • Mood boards and concept visualization
  • Social media visuals without text
• Avoid Using For:
  • Icons and logos (lack consistency and precision)
  • Charts and diagrams (use code/visualization tools instead)
  • Images with specific text (text often comes out distorted)
  • Technical illustrations (lack accuracy)
  • Brand-specific elements (hard to match exactly)

Step 3: Reveal the Power of Vision

The Big Reveal

Flip the cards to show Image Input → Text Output, then build anticipation:

Now, what if I told you that AI can not only create images, but also understand them? Let's see what this means for our work.

Interactive Discovery

For the "AI Vision Challenge", show various types of business visuals (slides, charts, mockups) and ask:

What would you normally ask a colleague about these visuals? Let's see if AI can answer these same questions.

Step 4: Practical Application

For the "Real Work Gallery", give these instructions:

Pull up something you're working on right now - a presentation, report, or document with visuals. In pairs, you'll take turns being AI consultants for each other. Look at your partner's work and suggest one way AI vision could help them improve or analyze it.

After pairs discuss, select 2-3 compelling examples to demo with AI.

Optional: Image-to-Image Challenge

If your group is engaged and you have time, introduce one final combination:

What if we could not just understand images or generate them, but transform them? Let's explore what happens when we use an image as input to generate a new image.

Some engaging examples to try:

• Transform a basic sketch into a polished design
• Change the style of a photo (e.g., make it look like a painting)
• Modify the season or time of day in a scene
• Extend an image beyond its borders
• Remove or replace elements in a photo

Step 5: Wrap-up Discussion

Guide the reflection with these questions:

• Which of these capabilities could save you the most time?
• What surprised you most about what AI can see and understand?
• What's one thing you'll try tomorrow with these tools?

Keep the focus on practical applications rather than technical details.

Facilitation Tips

• Handle the Wow Factor: When participants get excited about vision capabilities, redirect with:

  That is amazing, isn't it? Now let's see how we can put this to work for you.

• Manage Time: For demos, set expectations:

  I'll show one clear example, then you'll have a chance to try it yourself.

• Stay Practical: If discussions drift to technical details, redirect with:

  Let's focus on how we can use this in our daily work. What's a concrete example from your role?

What's Next

Close with this action-oriented message:

Tomorrow, when you're reviewing a presentation or analyzing a report, try showing it to AI. The best way to learn is to use these tools on your actual work - start with something small but real.

Suggest these immediate applications:

• Reviewing their next presentation with AI
• Analyzing charts or reports they're working on
• Improving their document layouts

The goal is to have them use these tools within 24 hours while the learning is fresh.