Artificial intelligence (AI) generated graphics have sprung up everywhere on campus and on the university’s multiple official social media accounts. Those graphics have been criticized by students and alumni for prioritizing computer-made images over work from RIT students at a world-class art institution.
In a survey by Reporter that was open from Aug. 2 to Aug. 6, there were 70 responses from undergraduate and graduate students, as well as alumni. The survey was shared on Reddit and Instagram.
Respondents shared that they saw AI-generated graphics on university social media accounts, promotional material by the College Activities Board, posters put up in academic buildings and in classes.
“I don’t support the idea of AI art in general. As a student in the College of Art and Design it’s especially disappointing to see,” shares Nico Suriano, a freshman in the 3D Digital Design program.
A large majority, 94.3%, of the respondents said it was “very important” for the university to disclose when artwork was created using AI. Only two respondents said it was not important at all.
Amina Davila, a 2026 graduate of the Graphic Design program, explained that the university using AI-generated assets is resulting in students losing opportunities to improve their craft and engage with the community. That sentiment seems to be one of the most common responses to the question that asked about their biggest concern about AI-generated art at the university.
“It will devalue art itself. Art is about expression and the creative process, the machine cannot express emotion. I take issue with even calling it art,” says Ryan De Vaux, a fourth-year Mechanical Engineering Technology student. “Art is something created to express and the machine knows nothing about that creative process.”
Co-ops are not required at the College of Art and Design. Some students view the university channels using AI-generated assets as taking away already sparse opportunities for students to showcase their work in an official capacity.
Angel Nguyen, a second-year Illustration and English double major, said the university not utilizing the students was a “slap in the face.”
“If we are to lose potentially beautiful talent to RIT deciding that creating AI-generated slop en-masse was more worth their dollar, then that’s just humiliating to be frank,” shares Nguyen.
Some respondents noted sustainability concerns surrounding excessive AI usage. Students pointed out that for a university that says they care about sustainability, it is hypocritical for them to promote AI usage and implement it in programs.
In March 2026, the university announced a Bachelor of Science degree in Artificial Intelligence. The four-year program is open and is welcoming its first cohort in the fall semester. According to the program curriculum website, there are no courses dedicated to discussing the ethics of AI use. The university launched its Master of Science degree in Artificial Intelligence in 2023. The graduate program has one course that discusses the ethics of artificial intelligence.
Survey respondents have stressed ethical concerns surrounding the use of artificial intelligence graphics. An anonymous respondent shares, “I think it goes against the ethics and standards of most majors, especially CAD. Specifically gen AI, using it to promote anything immediately makes something seem untrustworthy, cheap and trashy to me.”
Some students believe that some AI usage may be okay for certain situations. Jay Jackson, a freshman in the neuroscience program, says, “I believe it should be used sparingly and only when there’s no other alternative because of the misinformation it can spread, the environmental impacts, and how it can undermine human work and thought.”
An anonymous respondent said, “Allow it universally with no disclosure: if someone can’t tell it’s AI art, it doesn’t matter that it’s AI art.”
On April 24, 2026, Noah Manning, Student Government’s Student Affairs Committee Chair, responded to a PawPrint regarding AI image use on campus, saying that RIT released guidelines regarding marketing and promotion. The guideline outlined several acceptable and unacceptable practices using generative AI.
Some acceptable practices include using it for university advertising. “Gen AI is already in use in ad platforms to test and evaluate creative performance with audience segments. It learns what is working and then optimizes advertisements to increase performance of a campaign,” the guideline said.
The guideline also said AI tools could be used to create and enhance photographs, graphics, and visual content for designers to customize for the university’s branding. It stressed that AI visual content is used “ to assist and augment human creativity rather than replace it.”
The unacceptable uses of AI in marketing, according to the university, are using poor illustrations and designs as the university says “Art created by AI is often perceived as having less value because it lacks human emotional connection,” not getting consent, discrimination/bias and being a direct copy of an original work.
It would be inappropriate for Reporter to state that RIT students are against graphics generated by artificial intelligence, but the responses are reflecting a greater movement against AI.
On July 14, 2026, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order that implemented a one-year moratorium on all new data centers in the state. New York is the only state in the nation that has an official moratorium on data centers. According to a count by The Information, more than 300 cities, towns, and counties in the nation have placed bans or moratoriums on the construction of data centers.
The future is uncertain, but it is clear that the university’s officials will have to grapple with students’ rising negative sentiment toward artificial intelligence and the stakeholders’ push toward artificial intelligence.
