Now that advanced Gen-AI tools have been in the hands of most people for the past year or so, I thought it would be a good idea to see how it's impacting higher education.
Signals from the future:
Emerging trends that are likely to drive changes to the way we live, work and do business.
- The future of fast-food service? Cashiers are Zooming in from the Philippines to take your order at a NY fried chicken joint - Fortune | FORTUNE - Enhancing user experience through effective navigation and search functionalities to mitigate frustration and improve website engagement.
- ‘Simply mind-boggling’: world record temperature jump in Antarctic raises fears of catastrophe | Climate crisis - r/Futurology - Unprecedented Antarctic temperature surge signals dire consequences for ecosystems, marine life, and global sea levels due to climate crisis effects.
- E&E News: Geoengineering test launched with salt flecks and secrecy - No origin title - Enhancing user experience by enabling JavaScript is crucial for seamless utilisation of digital services and platforms.
- The Future Of Manufacturing Is Vision-Powered - Forbes - Unlocking manufacturing potential through AI, machine learning, and computer vision for enhanced quality, efficiency, and profitability in the industry.
- This year’s SXSW saw different digital tribes converging - News - SXSW 2024 emphasised the transformative power of AI and AR, hinting at their potential to reshape advertising and liberate creatives from conventions.
- Understanding How Post-COVID Startups are Different - Futurist Speaker - Startups post-COVID prioritise agility, digital innovation, and sustainability, adapting to new challenges with emerging roles and technologies for success.
- Oregon Forced to Recriminalise Drugs After Disastrous Decriminalisation Experiment - Futurism - Backfiring decriminalisation experiment in Oregon leads to the recriminalisation of hard drugs, shedding light on the need for comprehensive drug policy solutions.
- Supporting a six-fold increase in home Internet usage in the next ten years - Futurism - The exponential growth of home Internet usage in the U.S. prompts investments in infrastructure to meet increasing data demands and bridge connectivity gaps.
Focus Issue:
The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping the landscape of higher education, presenting both opportunities and challenges. The U.S. Department of Education's report, "Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning," highlights the need for policies that promote ethical and equitable use of AI in education. The report emphasises the importance of incorporating human input in AI systems, seeking AI models aligned with a vision for learning, and ensuring inspectable, explainable, and overridable AI.
The integration of AI in higher education has the potential to enhance adaptivity in learning, improve teaching jobs, and provide personalised feedback to students. Tools like ChatGPT offer benefits such as research support, automated grading, and improved student services. However, the rapid expansion of ChatGPT's applications across various fields also poses challenges, including security concerns, plagiarism, and the need for digital literacy.
To navigate the impact of AI on higher education, institutions must develop comprehensive AI policies. The AI Ecological Education Policy Framework, structured around Pedagogical, Governance, and Operational dimensions, aims to enhance teaching and learning outcomes, address privacy and security concerns, and meet infrastructure and training needs. The framework aligns with UNESCO's recommendations for a humanistic approach to AI in education, advocating for interdisciplinary planning, ethical AI use, and fostering local AI innovations.
The integration of AI in higher education requires a balanced approach that complements traditional teaching methods while focusing on critical thinking and ethical considerations. As highlighted in the EDUCAUSE Horizon Report, trends and emerging technologies in higher education necessitate the development of action plans to guide the implementation of AI. Higher education institutions must prioritise AI literacy and training to prepare students for an AI-driven workplace.
The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) in Australia has released resources to help higher education providers navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by advances in generative AI. These resources cover topics such as academic integrity, assessment reform, research integrity, and engaging with students about AI. TEQSA's proactive approach emphasises the importance of monitoring the impact of generative AI tools and ensuring institutions consider the implications of AI in their practices.
The future of higher education in the era of AI requires a collaborative effort among stakeholders, including policymakers, educators, and technology providers. The development of education-specific AI policies that protect civil rights, promote democratic values, and improve equity and outcomes for students is crucial. Evidence-based decision making, transparency in AI models, and the involvement of humans in the AI process are essential to ensure the responsible integration of AI in higher education.
And if you have the time, I'd recommend a listen of the a16z podcast with Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz discussing how to "fix" higher education: Fixing Higher Education & New Startup Opportunities with Marc and Ben | a16z Podcast (simplecast.com). While they cover more than AI, they do discuss quite a few of the things that universities do that are irreplaceable by AI and likely to form the future value proposition for these institutions.
Consider these strategic insights:
- Develop AI Ethics Advisory Boards: Establish advisory boards within businesses to guide the ethical development and deployment of AI technologies, ensuring transparency, accountability, and alignment with societal values.
- Invest in AI-Enhanced Professional Development: Create comprehensive training programs that empower employees to effectively collaborate with AI tools, fostering a symbiotic relationship between human creativity and machine intelligence.
- Pioneer AI-Driven Business Model Innovations: Identify unique opportunities to leverage AI for disruptive business model innovations, such as personalised products/services, predictive maintenance, or AI-powered customer engagement, creating new avenues for growth and differentiation.
- Collaborate with Higher Education Institutions: Forge strategic partnerships with universities to co-develop AI curricula, sponsor research projects, and offer internships, ensuring a steady pipeline of AI-literate talent while shaping the future of AI education.
Deep strategy:
Longer form articles rich with insights:
- Intelligent workflows: orchestrating the intersection of AI and humans - Supply Chain Xchange Home Page - Digitalization tools—such as control towers, dashboards, and digital workers—have greatly improved supply chain processes. But humans still sit at the center, deciding who or what performs what task or makes which decision. Intelligent workflows may change all that.
- Why We Need to, Have to, Want to Act on Climate - MIT Sloan Management Review - Businesses must urgently address climate change due to survival needs, legal pressures, and financial benefits. Collaboration and long-term vision are essential for meaningful action.
Business at the point of impact:
Emerging issues and technology trends can change the way we work and do business.
- The AI revolution will be ‘virtualised’ - McKinsey & Company - Unlocking transformative potential through AI and digital simulation, driving innovation across industries for competitive edge in the digital age.
- Why Executives Can’t Get Comfortable With AI - MIT Sloan Management Review - Key Insight: Business leaders must embrace continual learning and develop a foundational understanding of AI to unlock its strategic potential.
- The path to generative AI value: Setting the flywheel in motion - PwC - Unlock transformative potential of GenAI with strategic implementation, prioritising high-value use cases and responsible AI strategies for significant business model changes.
- Why CEOs Need A New Playbook In The AI Era - ChiefExecutive.net - Embrace human-centered leadership in the age of AI, prioritise trust, authenticity, and strategic adaptation for successful leadership in the digital era.
- A New Study Suggests that AI is Capable of Taking Over Managerial Roles in Large-Scale Research Projects - Digital Information World - AI's growing proficiency in managerial tasks, such as data analysis and coordination, suggests potential for AI to enhance research project management efficiency.
