Introduction
AI is not a new technology, but it has never been accessible to everyone. Until 2022, when Chat GPT revolutionized the market by democratizing generative AI, reaching more than 100 million users in just 2 months – becoming the fastest growing digital application in history.
Artificial Intelligence systems are present in people's lives in various forms, such as autonomous cars, medical diagnostics, pharmaceutical discoveries, law enforcement, military implementations, space exploration, education, among others. According to the Mckinsey Global Institute, AI's contribution to the global economy will reach a value of 13 trillion dollars by 2030, and they estimate that around 70% of all companies will use AI-based systems by the same date.
Still according to the same institute, “more than 2000 work activities in more than 800 occupations show that certain categories of activities are more easily automatable than others”. These activities correspond to more than 50% of all activities performed by humans in the industrial sector.
Almost all professions will be impacted by AI, but only 5% can be fully automated. The future of Artificial Intelligence tends more towards human-machine collaboration than the total replacement of human work.
Interested in investigating how generative AI has been used in higher education, and what impacts it has had on the sector, we took advantage of the opportunity to develop a course conclusion work to explore the topic. The objective of this article is to present the results of a research carried out in 2023, in France, which involved the participation of 41 students of different nationalities and higher education courses, and 4 teachers also from different backgrounds.
The topic is so current that it was incorporated into the Transdisciplinary Learning Environments research group, led by Faculdade Skema Brasil.
Changes in education
Reinventing 21st century pedagogy is essential to develop new skills in students, going beyond traditional methods focused on memorization. Today, engaged students contribute innovative perspectives, requiring meaningful learning that aligns with their personal values and those of their communities. It is important that students engage in relevant investigations to cultivate the advanced skills currently required.
The educational system, marked by fragmentation, demands innovation to meet the needs of students on their "learner's journey". Luna Scott (2015) highlights that "21st century education will require personalized learning, emphasizing supporting creativity rather than stifling it." The integration of technology appears as a crucial point for personalizing teaching, as Bulman & Fairlie (2016) point out, promoting education that respects the differences of each student.
AI and education
AI has stood out in the educational sector, offering adaptive solutions that enrich learning in different scenarios. Its implementation in schools and universities around the world reflects the growing recognition of its potential in education, regardless of the different opinions of students, teachers, parents and politicians.
AI has been explored in education for over fifty years, receiving significant investments from technology giants such as Amazon, Google and Facebook, among others. These efforts have boosted online tutoring, improved teacher training, and expanded access to personalized educational resources. According to Holmes (2020), the use of AI in educational contexts is developing at an exponential rate, with an expected market size of around six billion dollars by 2024.
AI in education has enabled everything from intelligent tutoring to detailed analysis of students' progress, highlighting notable technological advances and positive pedagogical impacts. This technology stands out for allowing the personalization of learning, adapting to the individual needs of students and identifying knowledge gaps, which optimizes the effectiveness of teaching. The technology also facilitates assessments and monitoring of student participation in the classroom, allowing preventive actions for students at risk, reinforcing the importance of AI as an educational tool.
Generative AI and education
Drastic changes in educational practices have been experienced in the last decade, mainly due to technological advances, the most relevant of which is the implementation of AI. Recently, progress in the field of Machine Learning (ML) has resulted in the creation of more refined digital content generated by AI that directly impacts the education sector, such as Generative Artificial Intelligence (GIA).
Since the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT in November 2022, GPTs (Generative Pre-trained Models) have been widely discussed and described as a technology capable of changing the world. GPT technology uses a large amount of publicly accessible digital content to generate new content through Natural Language Processing (NLP). This allows these AI models to generate texts, images, videos and audios with great creativity on a wide variety of subjects, very close to human-generated content.
According to Grassini (2023), the impact of these AI models, especially the notable potential applications of ChatGPT in education, has provoked a range of mixed emotions among educators. Many demonstrate positive perspectives regarding opportunities and advancements, while others express concerns about threats and the need for regulation.
Given its notable presence in the media, IAG has been the subject of analysis by several scientists. Such analyzes seek to evaluate both the opportunities and challenges of its implementation in higher education, including the ethical implications related to the implementation of IAG in education.
Originality and plagiarism, for example, are at the center of the discussion, leading many governments and schools to ban IAG tools, such as ChatGPT, for fear that they facilitate cheating. Some educators believe that such technology can prevent true assessment of student performance and learning, making it difficult to identify a true understanding of learning gaps.
According to Qadir (2022), IAG can also benefit teachers and students, helping to create lesson plans, presentations and assessments, in addition to contributing to the correction of activities. Students benefit from using this technology to solve doubts, improve their writing and get feedback on their work. As a demonstration of its effectiveness, Chat GPT has already proven itself competent in administration tests, law and even in parts of medical license assessments.
Even though AI technologies present challenges and opportunities, they require a proactive approach by educational institutions, emphasizing competent governance and smart regulation rather than bans. Conscious integration in the classroom, discussions about its impacts and equitable access are fundamental to taking advantage of the opportunities and facing the challenges of IAG, aiming for a sustainable future in higher education, without deepening existing inequalities.
Partial results
The study showed that 53% of students are frequent users of IAG, and 47% said they had already used it. Already 44% said that their universities never approached IAG, and 38% believe that “universities should train students”. Regarding individual learning, 78% said it “affected positively”.
We also identified that certain subjects are more affected, and students use the wrong prompts, and it is suggested that universities should train students and teachers, as maintaining interaction between them and students is crucial, as the future market will require proficiency in IAG .
Conclusion
The use of IAG in higher education is a reality, and we need to think about ways of using it that are conscious and complementary to citizenship training. Furthermore, it is important that higher education institutions and actors implement AI in their students' learning path, so that they are introduced to the job market with the desired proficiency in such technologies.
In this scenario, it is extremely important to maintain interaction between students and teachers, so that the use of IAG is supervised and discussed in the classroom, generating new insights and applications for technology in education in a way that is aware of its ethical implications.
Developments of the initial project “AI Transforming Academia: the rise of generative AI and its changes in higher education” are being worked on in the Transdisciplinary Learning Environments research group in the form of a scientific initiation (CI) program called “The use of AI in construction of knowledge”, with the IC project of “Proposal for a manual of good practices for use in education”.
This awareness about the use of AI ethically and complementary to cognitive capabilities contributes to the formation of citizens who are increasingly aware of the AI journey, which “is not just about adopting technology; it’s about creating a legacy of innovation, leadership and positive transformation.”
References
1. Luna Scott, C. (2015). The Futures of Learning 3: What kinds of pedagogies for the 21st century? Available at: https://repositorio.minedu.gob.pe/handle/20.500.12799/3747. Accessed on: Nov. 24, 2023.
2. Qadir, J. (2022). Engineering Education in the Era of ChatGPT: Promise and Pitfalls of Generative AI for Education. Available at: https://doi.org/10.36227/techrxiv.21789434.v1. Accessed on: Nov. 24, 2023.
3. Bulman, G., & Fairlie, R. W. (2016). Chapter 5. Technology and Education: Computers, Software, and the Internet. In E. A. Hanushek, S. Machin, & L. Woessmann (Eds.), Handbook of the Economics of Education (Vol. 5, pp. 239 280). Elsevier. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-63459-7.00005-1. Accessed on: Nov. 24, 2023.
4. Holmes, W. (2020). Artificial Intelligence in Education. In A. Tatnall (Ed.), In: Tatnall, A, (ed.). Encyclopedia of Education and Information Technologies. Springer: Cham, Switzerland. (2020). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10576-1_107. Accessed on: Nov. 24, 2023.
5. Grassini, S. (2023). Shaping the Future of Education: Exploring the Potential and Consequences of AI and ChatGPT in Educational Settings. Education Sciences, 13 (7), Article 7. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13070692. Accessed on: Nov. 24, 2023.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ARTHUR MEIRELLES CHAVES
Author of the project “AI Transforming Academia: the rise of generative AI and its changes in higher education”, developed in France under the supervision of professor Devin Smith, specializing in Artificial Intelligence for Business, he graduated from Skema Business School in Administration with a double diploma in Brazil and France. Researcher in the Transdisciplinary Learning Environments group at LATACI® and Skema.
COLLABORATION
MAX CIRINO DE MATTOS
President of the LATACI® Research Institute, researcher and professor at Skema Business School, consultant. He has a post-doctorate in Architecture and Information Science, a doctorate and a master's degree in Information Science. He currently leads the Transdisciplinary Learning Environments research group at LATACI® and Skema.
