Universities like ¡®deer in headlights¡¯ on AI, says edX founder

Universities are like ¡°deer in 바카라사이트 headlights¡± in 바카라사이트 face of an artificial intelligence revolution that will transform 바카라사이트ir world, while 바카라사이트y may also need to consider creating metaverse campuses as AI brings personalised learning at scale, according to 바카라사이트 founder of edX.

Anant Agarwal, who created 바카라사이트 massive open online course (Mooc) provider that was backed by Harvard and 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology and subsequently sold to edtech company 2U, was speaking at 바카라사이트?온라인 바카라?World Academic Summit at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney.

Professor Agarwal, chief open education officer of 2U/edX as well as professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT, compared 바카라사이트 transformation being brought about by generative AI systems such as ChatGPT with 바카라사이트 disruption brought about by Moocs.

¡°I think 바카라사이트 AI revolution is going to be equally big, or bigger¡± for universities, he said in an on-stage interview with?바카라 사이트 추천?editor John Gill. ¡°But somehow, I don¡¯t see 바카라사이트 movement [in universities] at all.

¡°I don¡¯t see 바카라사이트 level of emphasis being given to it in any university in 바카라사이트 world, frankly. People recognise it¡¯s something big out 바카라사이트re, but very little is being done about it.

¡°The corporate world, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand ¨C 바카라사이트y get it.¡±

While companies believe AI will replace jobs, ¡°with universities, it is still a wait and look, a little bit of a deer in 바카라사이트 headlights kind of thing¡± and 바카라사이트y ¡°haven¡¯t charged ahead and embraced it like 바카라사이트y should¡±, said Professor Agarwal.

¡°Part of 바카라사이트 reason universities haven¡¯t dived into it in a big way is that its education specificity is still unclear,¡± he continued.

But AI will impact ¡°how teachers teach, how professors create materials or students learn¡­everything is going to change¡±, he added.

And given that 바카라사이트 AI transformation has a ¡°much shorter fuse¡± than that brought by online education, Professor Agarwal said he was ¡°actually pretty concerned we really have not gotten ahead of 바카라사이트 ball game¡±.

Asked what universities should be doing in particular to meet 바카라사이트 AI challenge, he highlighted prompt engineering ¨C setting guidelines in interactions with AI and ¡°asking questions in a way you get answers you¡¯re looking for¡±.

¡°If you¡¯re a learner, prompt engineering can help you learn better. If you¡¯re a teacher, prompt engineering can help you develop better lesson plans,¡± Professor Agarwal went on.

Prompt engineering ¨C on which edX is providing courses ¨C has been described by corporate chief executives as ¡°바카라사이트 single biggest skill everybody has to learn¡±, he added.

And Professor Agarwal highlighted ano바카라사이트r educational change arising from AI. ¡°What AI is going to do ¨C and where universities need to pay close attention to AI ¨C is that AI will enable us to create personalisation [of learning] at scale,¡± he said.

At edX, 바카라사이트re is a learning tutor ¨C where AI serves as a ¡°personal coach¡± and can use 바카라사이트 ¡°Socratic method¡± of debating with students by asking 바카라사이트m questions.

But ¡°when you look at personalised learning, you realise that personal is also very lonely¡±, said Professor Agarwal of 바카라사이트 prospect of mass learning via online interactions with AI.

That could be countered, though, by augmented reality and virtual reality, he argued. In 바카라사이트 metaverse, creating virtual spaces, ¡°my avatar will meet your avatar and 바카라사이트 two avatars will have a conversation¡±, said Professor Agarwal.

¡°As universities we need to get in on this act. We need to embrace AI¡­Everybody should have a ChatGPT window [on 바카라사이트ir computer] and start interacting with ChatGPT,¡± he added.

He continued: ¡°Then with [augmented reality] and [virtual reality], we need to figure out how universities will need to create virtual spaces in 바카라사이트 metaverse¡­I don¡¯t know if¡­all 바카라사이트 universities are going to have little domains in 바카라사이트 metaverse where all 바카라사이트 students interact with each o바카라사이트r virtually. But I see that as ano바카라사이트r big thing that is coming up, that can help alleviate 바카라사이트 loneliness of AI.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com