Criticisms like “AI Slop” were abundant among negative comments under the video Hofstra University, which was posted to announce the logo for the new Athletics division.
videoOn June 9th, it was shared by the university's Hofstrau and Hofstra Pride's Instagram accounts, transformed into a lion's pride, roaring, gnawing in rival college jerseys, and eventually a new logo. Student repulsion surrounded the clear use of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate videos.
Comments under post He expressed his dissatisfaction that the university was not using student talent. Some commenters pointed out several courses on radio, television and film stations that teach animation.
“You have so many talented students and alumni, you made something extraordinary and instead you were very disappointed with y'all?”
Others, including Michelle Geller (@oh.well.michelle), labeled the video as “tone deaf,” and advocated “a university double standard that accepts this embarrassment when their students need to sign an anti-Al pledge.”
Paris Martinovic, a 2024 graduate of Hofstra with a degree in criminology, said the video sends a harsh message that the university is devaluing the work of current students and alumni.
“This message makes the students feel like they're not interested in investing in the school,” Martinovic said. “Even though the video is finally disappearing in the postfeed, people continue to remember that feeling.”
At Hofstra, it is at the discretion of each professor to regulate the use of AI in the classroom. The professor can choose it Allow use They have AI approval, have both approval and permission, or they have completely banned AI.
Hofstra's aCademic honor cOde It warns students that “misuse of AI/CHATGPT may be considered a violation of the Honor Code,” and that it may be affected by the student's record, suspension or expulsion mark from the university.
release statement Through Instagram On June 16, Hofstra's Student Government Association (SGA) observed that while the video was intended to “capture the essence of pride,” many students felt that the use of AI was “injured and misrepresented.” They further urged universities to remove the video, claiming that “the use of artificial intelligence undermines the major liberal arts principles underlying what Hofstra represents.”
The wave of criticism also reached its peak in the creation of online petitions, demanding that Hofstra be removed from the video, apologize for the use of generative AI, and condemn the future use of the software. petitionstarting with the Rising of Oscar Mungia, a major in advanced and music education, claims that the use of AI in promotional videos “harms the work of over 100,000 alumni and many current students attending university.” As of July 18th, the petition has accumulated 434 online signatures.
Despite the ongoing backlash, the video remains on social media. in Statement to the Hofstrachroniclethe university distinguished the use of AI in AI use from its use in academic settings, saying that “the use of university use in the context of professional marketing where, rather than substitute for human creativity, AI adheres to the professional standards used to complement production.”
When HofStra requests that the video be deleted and unanswered videos are deleted, the invested students continue to be ignored.
“Trying to clean this under a rug is not only frustrating, but it's also very rude to have students and alumni seek answers and approval of the situation,” Martinovic said. “I hope this gives them the opportunity to take accountability and move forward in the right way.”
