This workshop introduces key approaches to engaging with generative artificial intelligence (AI) in academic contexts. Rather than emphasizing technical detail, the session focuses on how AI can be used to support critical thinking, what forms of background knowledge and lateral reading are required to effectively critique AI outputs, and how to make informed decisions about when and how to use AI responsibly. Participants will leave with practical strategies for integrating AI into their academic work in ways that are intentional, reflective, and ethically sound.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Analyze how AI tools can support critical thinking, recognizing that information creation is a process shaped by context and purpose.
• Apply background knowledge and lateral reading strategies to critique AI-generated outputs, acknowledging that authority is constructed and contextual.
• Evaluate the credibility, limitations, and affordances of AI-generated content in relation to specific academic tasks.
• Develop criteria for making informed, ethical decisions about when and how to use AI responsibly in academic work.

This workshop is open to all members of the University of Calgary community and is not part of a research study. Anyone may attend the workshop without participating in any research.

After the workshop, you will be invited to take part in a separate, voluntary research study. This study involves a short, 10 optional question survey about your learning experience. The survey is part of a project on AI literacy and the use of AI in supporting information literacy skills, which has received ethics approval from the University of Calgary Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board.

Your participation in the survey is entirely voluntary and independent of the workshop. Choosing not to complete the survey will not affect your ability to attend the workshop or access library services. Survey responses will be anonymous and may be included in publications or presentations about the project.