Swedish Art Class: Using AI Creatively—A Case Study

In a quiet corner of Göteborg, a secondary school art classroom buzzes with an energy that feels both familiar and entirely new. At first glance, the students’ desks are covered with sketchbooks, colored pencils, and sheets of textured paper. Yet, alongside these traditional tools, glowing laptop screens hint at the evolving nature of their creative practice. Here, the intersection of art and artificial intelligence is not a distant concept, but a daily reality. This is the story of how one Swedish art class embraced AI to reimagine the way students engage with history, creativity, and each other.

The Project: Reimagining History Through AI

The initiative began as a collaboration between the school’s art and history departments. Their shared goal: to bring historical events and eras to life through visual storytelling, using DALL·E—an AI model developed by OpenAI that generates images from textual descriptions. The art teacher, Eva Larsson, explains, “Our aim was not only to help students visualize history, but to encourage them to critically engage with the past, question representations, and experiment with the possibilities of new media.”

Integrating DALL·E into the Curriculum

To bridge the gap between art and AI, the project began with a series of workshops. Students were introduced to DALL·E’s capabilities and limitations. They learned how to craft precise prompts, how to iterate on results, and how to interpret what the AI produced—not as a replacement for their own creativity, but as a tool for collaboration.

Eva describes the process: “We started with simple prompts, like ‘a Viking ship at dawn’ or ‘the first printing press in action.’ The students quickly realized that the AI’s interpretation was shaped by their choice of words, historical context, and even the languages they used.”

“It was fascinating to see how the students negotiated with the AI. They discussed which terms might yield the most accurate or imaginative results, and how to refine their prompts to align with their vision of the past.”
—Eva Larsson, Art Teacher

Student Engagement and Critical Thinking

One of the most profound outcomes was a shift in how students approached both art and history. They became more aware of historical bias and representation—not only in traditional media, but in AI-generated imagery as well.

Developing Visual Literacy

As students compared the images generated by DALL·E with historical sources and their own artistic interpretations, the class fostered visual literacy. They discussed:

• The ways in which AI reflects or distorts cultural and historical realities
• The influence of training data on image generation
• How to recognize subtle inaccuracies and biases in AI outputs

Eva notes, “We encouraged students to question where the AI’s understanding comes from. Why did it depict a medieval feast in a certain way? What sources or stereotypes might it be drawing from?”

“Some students were surprised to see how the AI defaulted to Western European imagery, even when they tried to prompt for more diverse perspectives. This sparked important conversations about whose stories are represented in data, and whose are left out.”
—Eva Larsson

Collaborative Learning

The project unfolded as a collective experiment. Students worked in small groups, brainstorming prompts, debating historical accuracy, and curating the results. The classroom walls soon filled with a mosaic of AI-generated images and hand-drawn sketches, each annotated with the group’s reflections on process and outcome.

One group, tasked with depicting the Gustavian era, wrote:

“DALL·E showed us elegant ballrooms, but no signs of ordinary people or their daily lives. We decided to add our own drawings of street vendors and children, to complete the picture.”

Ethical and Legal Considerations

The integration of AI raised questions far beyond the classroom. How should students and teachers navigate issues of copyright, data privacy, and responsible use? The school collaborated with local education authorities and legal advisors to develop clear guidelines for AI use in creative projects. Among the key points discussed were:

• Attribution: Properly crediting AI tools and clarifying the human role in creating each project.
• Data Privacy: Ensuring that students’ prompts and images are not stored or shared without consent.
• Copyright: Debating the ownership of AI-generated art, especially when it is used in public exhibitions or school competitions.

Eva reflects, “We wanted students to understand not just the technology, but the responsibilities that come with it. Using AI isn’t just about what you can make—it’s about how you do it, and who is affected by your choices.”

Legislative Context: AI in European Classrooms

The project also prompted discussion of the European Union’s evolving legislation on AI. Teachers attended training sessions on the EU AI Act, which sets out criteria for transparency, safety, and ethical oversight in AI deployment. The Swedish National Agency for Education provided resources on integrating AI while safeguarding students’ rights and well-being.

This proactive approach empowered teachers to address concerns and foster an environment where students felt safe to experiment. As Eva summarizes, “We learned together—teachers and students—how to use these tools responsibly, in line with both Swedish values and European law.”

Creative Outcomes and Reflections

Over the course of the semester, the project yielded hundreds of unique images, dozens of illustrated timelines, and several public exhibitions. Students reported a renewed sense of ownership over their learning, and many found new ways to express themselves.

From Prompt to Exhibition

One highlight was the annual art show, where visitors could trace the journey from a student’s initial prompt to the final curated display. Each project included a written reflection on the collaboration between human and AI, foregrounding the process as much as the product.

“My group worked on the Industrial Revolution. We asked DALL·E for ‘a Swedish textile factory, 1890, with women workers.’ The image it created was beautiful, but left out the smoke and noise we read about in our history books. So we edited the prompt, and added our own sketches to show what it might have really felt like.”
—Student reflection

Several students reported that the project changed the way they think about art and technology:

• “I used to be nervous about digital tools. Now I see them as part of my creative toolkit.”
• “It’s interesting to see the gaps in what AI understands. It makes me want to learn more history.”
• “Working together, we could combine our ideas and make something none of us could do alone.”

Professional Development for Teachers

For Eva and her colleagues, the case study became a catalyst for ongoing professional growth. The school organized peer workshops and invited experts in AI ethics, digital literacy, and art education to share best practices.

Building Confidence in AI Literacy

The teachers’ journey mirrored that of their students. Many began with limited experience and a healthy dose of skepticism. Through hands-on exploration and collaborative problem-solving, they developed strategies for:

• Integrating AI into existing curricula without sacrificing traditional skills
• Facilitating critical discussions about technology, society, and culture
• Providing differentiated support for students with varying levels of digital proficiency

Eva recalls, “At first, I worried that the technology would overshadow the art. But in practice, it became a conversation starter—a way to bring together different perspectives and spark creativity.”

Expanding the Conversation

The success of the project led to invitations to present at local and regional conferences. Teachers shared their experiences with peers from across Sweden and Europe, discussing both the practical and philosophical implications of AI in education.

“Colleagues were curious—how did we handle student data? What about copyright? But most of all, they wanted to know how we kept the focus on students’ voices and agency.”
—Eva Larsson

Lessons Learned and Future Directions

While the Göteborg case study is unique in its context, its lessons resonate widely. The integration of AI in art education is not a matter of replacing traditional methods, but enriching them—offering new ways to see, imagine, and question the world.

Key takeaways for educators include:

• Start small: Pilot projects and workshops can build familiarity and confidence
• Foster dialogue: Encourage students to interrogate both the outputs and the processes of AI
• Stay informed: Keep abreast of legal and ethical developments, and collaborate with colleagues and experts
• Prioritize agency: Position students as active creators, not passive consumers of technology
• Embrace imperfection: Use unexpected or flawed AI results as opportunities for critical thinking and creative problem-solving

The Göteborg art class stands as a testament to what is possible when educators approach new technologies with curiosity, care, and a commitment to student-centered learning. As Eva puts it, “AI can’t replace the spark of human imagination, but it can help us fan the flames.”

This case study offers a blueprint for other European teachers eager to explore AI creatively and responsibly. The journey is ongoing, shaped by new discoveries, challenges, and collaborations. In classrooms like Eva’s, the future of art—and education—is being reimagined, one prompt at a time.