By Isaac Manje.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is truly an avant-garde Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accomplishment that is changing the world, and the way we live. University education is no exception. Artificial Intelligence is everywhere today, from educational tools, music, social media, machines and videos we watch online. The idea of creating intelligent machines is not entirely new. However, now more than ever, it is almost achieving full realization as intelligent machines using technology-based computer systems can complete tasks that previously required logical deduction and human intelligence.
Artificial Intelligence has the potential to make the world a better place, improve the quality of life, and enhance human interactions. For instance, AI has been successfully applied in machine learning, chatbots, deep learning, self-driving cars, robotics, pattern recognition, natural language processing, security, facial recognition, speech recognition, personalized learning, medical diagnosis, e-commerce, space exploration, cyber security, and automation among others. However, AI has also created new challenges and threats in various sectors such as justice systems, global security, governance, health, employment, economy, education, automation, election management, and democracy among others.
Recent scholars have argued that AI has the potential to transform university education than any other technological advancement ever witnessed. Some argue that AI can improve educational outcomes, increase access to education, lead to better retention rates, lower the cost of education, and decrease the time taken to complete university education among other benefits. However, is this the reality on the ground? Serious gaps have been identified between these expectations and reality.
It is agreeable that AI is capable of transforming certain practices in university education and enhancing the educational experiences and quality of interactions with students. For instance, AI can help a university student develop an initial idea that they can use to write their own academic pieces. Also, through AI, university students are able to detect plagiarism and reduce grammatical errors in their academic works, making AI not entirely bad. Students can use AI to confirm the correctness of their academic work and polish them up to meet quality standards. The question remains, are we capable of attaining a level of AI where the processing capabilities of machines match the cognitive abilities of humans, especially in teaching and learning? Secondly, do university students understand the ethics of using AI tools in their academic work? Universities ought to take it upon themselves to sensitize and educate students and faculty about the ethics of using AI tools in their academic work.
Has AI achieved its full potential in university teaching and learning? Recent studies show that there is a general lack of willingness on the part of stakeholders to take risks and adopt new artificial intelligence innovations in university education. Most educators view it as a threat to quality teaching and learning. For instance, new AI tools used in research and writing such as ChatGPT, QuillBot, and JenniAI among others have made is easier for university students to complement their academic work. However, not all students have been using these tools professionally. Cases of academic dishonesty, plagiarism and copy-paste have been on the rise as students fail to present their original thoughts in university assignments.
AI has spun a new debate on whether it is ethical for university students to use AI to supplement their academic work. A good number of university students have gotten into trouble for using AI tools such as ChatGPT to complete their assignments, CATs, term papers, projects and even theses. This has maimed creativity, innovativeness, originality and critical thinking as these AI tools do the entire work for students. However, the truth is that such AI tools continue to be used by university students. This presents a perfect opportunity for university education stakeholders to reflect and debate on the current pedagogical practices and think of ways in which AI can be effectively utilized in the classroom because it is here with us to stay, whether we like it or not.
There needs to be tactical multi-stakeholder deliberations on the implications, prospects, challenges and hype that AI has brought to university education. The ever-unfolding developments witnessed almost every other day in AI may force university education players to rethink the use of AI in university teaching and learning and stop viewing it entirely as a threat. Instead of criticizing university students and faculty for using AI, the discussion ought to shift to helping them understand how to ethically utilize educational AI tools to supplement their scholarly work, not to create it for them from scratch.
