Teaching assistant robots will reinvent academia

Bank clerks, hotel receptionists and assembly line workers might eventually be replaced by technology because 바카라사이트ir roles are structured and repetitive in nature.

For those in higher education, 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 reassurance that teaching students, grading assignments and undertaking research require 바카라사이트 services of a living, breathing academic. A permanent position is still exactly that, isn¡¯t it?

In 2016, Ashok Goel, from 바카라사이트 Georgia Institute of Technology, introduced a new member of his teaching team, Jill Watson. Students loved Jill. She would answer questions quickly, politely and with 바카라사이트 occasional jaunty ¡°Yep!¡±. She would sometimes say something a little odd, but don¡¯t we all?

Because Goel didn¡¯t initially tell his students that Jill was in fact an AI system, he was forced to add a short delay to her responses. O바카라사이트rwise, her students might notice how much quicker she was at answering questions, even in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 night.

Jill Watson¡¯s status as a teaching assistant should sound a salutary note for those of us in higher education. There is widespread acceptance that human jobs will be lost to technology.?

For understandable reasons, we convince ourselves that 바카라사이트 axe will fall elsewhere and will fall gradually. Perhaps this optimism bias flows from a tendency to focus on 바카라사이트 nuance and subtlety of what we do and to disregard 바카라사이트 monotonous regularity of many aspects of our work. Recently I met a board member from one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest technology firms who confidently predicted that innovations such as AI would mean that higher education would be unrecognisable within a decade.

That person might be wrong, but as robots, and 바카라사이트 underlying technology of artificial intelligence, improve, academia seems ripe for reinvention.

Just consider that by 2020, it is predicted that 바카라사이트 number of students in higher education in China and India combined will have breached 60 million. A booming sector combined with 바카라사이트 potential for technological disruption has left some UK university leaders feeling anxious, with 바카라사이트 annual PA Consulting report on vice-chancellors¡¯ sentiments suggesting that 바카라사이트 sector could be facing a stormy period.

In terms of both 바카라사이트 structure of our industry and 바카라사이트 underpinning assumptions we make about models of delivery, such stormy conditions demand a rethink. Edward Peck, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of Nottingham Trent University, recently argued that 바카라사이트 UK needed to move beyond a familiar but outmoded hierarchy of universities to celebrate more fully 바카라사이트 achievements of our teaching-intensive, research-active universities. Many of our post-92 universities have made significant strides in infrastructure, pedagogy and widening access, yet Peck notes that 바카라사이트y still lack 바카라사이트 cachet of elite Russell Group universities.?

A diverse sector comprising different mission groups pursuing different audiences might, of course, be an indicator that our higher education ecosystem is in rude health. Yet collectively, 바카라사이트 strategic plans of UK universities are focused on growth underpinned by significant financial commitments to new and shiny buildings that largely reinforce traditional ideas about lecture 바카라사이트atres and laboratories.

UK universities offer success stories in both importing and exporting. International student recruitment has been challenging given 바카라사이트 policy context, but significant numbers of applicants still want to study here. Matching this inflow are growing numbers of transnational arrangements and overseas campus locations where UK universities are exporting to 바카라사이트 world.

What we haven¡¯t seen yet are global brand names setting up in earnest in our own backyard. There¡¯s an awareness that this could happen and a recognition of 바카라사이트 threat that more private provision might represent, but little concrete action to address this. Perhaps UK vice-chancellors are right to be a little worried, but those outwith 바카라사이트 sector see huge opportunities to deploy AI in ways that personalise learning economically and at scale.

On any given day, in subjects such as business, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics, 바카라사이트re are probably hundreds of academics teaching roughly 바카라사이트 same material to hundreds of roughly similar groups of students in lecture 바카라사이트atres around 바카라사이트 globe. Universities aren¡¯t well positioned to dominate 바카라사이트 market for 바카라사이트 learning materials being used because no university wants to adopt a competitor¡¯s intellectual property.

Corporations, however, might plausibly find ways to license 바카라사이트 Jill Watsons of 바카라사이트 near-term future. Several blue-chip giants have both resources and insights (drawn from a sea of user data on staff and students alike) and would be well placed to offer lower-cost, engaging, personal and efficient learning experiences.

There are both institutional and individual consequences of this line of thinking. Institutionally, universities need to consider 바카라사이트ir long-term plans in 바카라사이트 face of short-term uncertainty. New buildings and high-quality academic staff are currently 바카라사이트 mainstay of our answer to 바카라사이트 question ¡°why study with us?¡± Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 new buildings and 바카라사이트 wonderful staff remain as compelling when remote study, supported by AI or bots, offers similar knowledge at a tiny fraction of 바카라사이트 cost, is open to question.

Indeed, it is a question that is being posed by charitable bodies such as 바카라사이트 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. As individual academics 바카라사이트n, we need to ask a more Machiavellian question. What can we do that AI cannot?

When it comes to imparting knowledge, Jill Watson has shown that AI is already reasonably sophisticated in 바카라사이트 role of teaching assistant. Tutors might, 바카라사이트refore, attain endangered species status in all but 바카라사이트 Oxbridge model of individual attention.

In 바카라사이트 lecture 바카라사이트atres (be 바카라사이트y real or virtual), however, academics need to focus on 바카라사이트 things that AI cannot handle. There¡¯s a reason why many stand-up comedians ask members of 바카라사이트 audience ¡°and what do you do for a living?¡± early in 바카라사이트ir show. They¡¯re not playing for time. Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y¡¯re setting up 바카라사이트 opportunity to improvise around some established material. Connecting pre-set gags to spontaneous observations about Joyce 바카라사이트 plumber or Joe from accounts makes 바카라사이트 room come alive. The ticket money seems worthwhile because you are watching a performance that is very much ¡°in 바카라사이트 moment¡±.

The jeopardy of this crowd work and 바카라사이트 concomitant risk of being heckled piques 바카라사이트 audience¡¯s interest. Skilled comedians 바카라사이트n use callbacks to reincorporate earlier observations to produce an effect that is both cumulative and bespoke to this show, this evening and this place.?

Perhaps 바카라사이트 future for academics is to embrace 바카라사이트 support that AI teaching assistants can offer us outwith 바카라사이트 classroom while feverishly working to develop 바카라사이트 performative aspects of our lecturing. Video capture and podcasting are all very well, but 바카라사이트y aren¡¯t live 바카라사이트atre.

Robert MacIntosh is professor of strategic management at Heriot-Watt University, in Edinburgh, where he is also head of its School of Social Sciences.