AI as designated designer: Training public-speaking students to use Beautiful.ai for their slide presentations

This paper introduces generative AI for the graphic design of student presentation aids in a university public-speaking classroom. Students learn to use generative AI as an efficient enhancement to the creative process while preserving the integrity of the content. Students' slide presentations show improvement resulting from the activity, and students report that the activity saves time and relieves stress. Courses: Public Speaking, Advanced Public Speaking, Business and Professional Communication, face-to-face and online. Objectives: Students learn how to improve the visual design of their presentation aids through use of generative AI. Students will reflect on the ethics of using AI as an enhancement to human agency and not as a replacement for it.