This is not the first time Western civilization and American higher education have encountered a massive change impacting the mission, technologies and vision of higher learning. When we look in this historical context, the challenges that loom ahead for higher education do not seem much more daunting than those that were confronted in prior industrial revolutions. Jobs and careers will be lost; other careers and jobs will be created. Learning will remain a constant requirement for success. Once again, we will need to reinvent our structures, methods and modes of delivery to best meet the higher learning demands of our changing society. The time to begin is now!
Thursday, April 25, 2024
AI Agents: Coming Soon to a User Near You - Babak Pahlavan, Spiceworks
NinjaTech AI’s CEO, Babak Pahlavan, sheds light on this burgeoning phenomenon of AI Agents. Offering a glimpse into the intricacies and implications of reshaping our daily interactions in this tech-driven world. There’s been accelerating publicity lately around “AI agents.” In November 2023, Bill Gates wrote on his blog about how AI agents will completely change how we use computers. In non-technical terms, this means that AI agents can save each user more time and more money and make them more productive by taking over entire tasks for the user rather than helping them synchronously while they work. In many ways, AI agents are akin to having a personal or executive assistant to solve specific problems.
Beyond Skills: Hiring For The Qualities AI Can't Replicate - Aditya Malik, Forbes Technology Council
By recognizing and nurturing these distinctly human qualities, organizations can build a future-proof workforce that thrives in an AI-powered world. Robots won't replace these individuals but will learn to collaborate with them, harnessing their computational power while injecting the human touch that fuels innovation, builds strong relationships and drives success. In this transformed landscape, the winners will not be those who simply possess skills but those who embody the very essence of what it means to be human: adaptable, empathetic and constantly evolving.
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
The Dawn of Enhanced Reasoning in AI: GPT-5 and Llama 3 Set to Revolutionize Complex Task Performance - Roman Rember, ElBlog
In the relentless pursuit of creating artificial intelligence that mirrors human cognitive abilities, tech giants OpenAI and Meta have made remarkable strides with the announcement of their latest AI models, GPT-5 and Llama 3. These AI models, which are still under development, promise to leap forward in “reasoning” capabilities. Joelle Pineau, who leads AI research at Meta, has emphasized the significance of this advancement. She has expressed that their teams are putting in immense effort to enable these models to not only converse but to exhibit higher faculties such as reasoning, planning, and even memory retention.
Check Out These Harvard Online Certificate Programs -Genevieve Carlton and Brenna Swanston, Forbes
Harvard offers 41 graduate certificates and four undergraduate certificates in business, technology, global studies, sustainability and education. Flexible online certificate programs build critical skills with an emphasis on career advancement. Most graduate certificates cost under $13,000, while undergraduate certificates cost around $6,000. You don’t need to apply to Harvard’s online certificate programs; simply enroll in your first class.
One Effect of the AI Revolution: The Number of Chief AI Officers Has Tripled - Kit Eaton, Inc
The Financial Times, reporting on LinkedIn's data, tries to explain the chief AI officer role in straightforward language. It's all about overseeing "the deployment of AI and generative AI within an organization" with a goal of "improving workforce efficiency, identifying new revenue streams," all while maintaining a weather eye on the bigger picture, and "mitigating ethical and security risks." The newspaper quotes David Mathison, an entrepreneur who's founder and CEO of the world's first Chief AI Officer Summit, saying the job needs a person with a "deep understanding of AI tech, machine learning, data science, and analytics." It is, after all, a highly technical role that involves some truly cutting-edge tech--along with a grasp of the legal and change-management issues the technology brings with it.
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Revolutionizing Education with AI: Opportunities and Challenges Ahead - Roman Rember, ELblog
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed many sectors, education being no exception. Morocco has taken proactive steps to embrace this technological shift, particularly in higher education. By integrating AI into educational systems, the country aims to enhance learning experiences and develop specialized human capital equipped to handle the digital transition. Significant progress includes the planned establishment of the National Higher School of Artificial Intelligence and Data Sciences in Taroudant and the conversion of the university annex in Berkane into a national school specializing in AI and digitization.
Give educators the skills to bring assessment into the future - Matthew Courtney, Times Higher Education
In higher education, the demand for robust assessment systems has never been higher. We recently conducted a one-week graduate-level course on classic test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT) for STEM experts. CTT is a conventional statistical framework. It underpins conventional student testing that assists test developers to judge the general quality and their tests and questions. IRT is a more modern statistical framework, which enables test developers to implement cutting-edge and highly reliable assessment systems to monitor student progress.
Fueling Growth Through Senior Leadership Championing Continuing Education - Tatum Thomas, Evolllution
The support for continuing education (CE) and buy-in from senior leadership has evolved in recent years, with increasing recognition of the need to adapt and innovate in higher ed. This support is crucial to allocating resources effectively and fostering innovation, playing an essential role in institutional strategies. In this interview, Tatum Thomas discusses how support for CE has evolved, what’s still required to have adequate support and the impact this support can have on the institution.
Monday, April 22, 2024
OpenAI and Meta set to unveil AI models capable of reasoning and planning - Dev Kondaliya, Computing
Tech firms are building the foundations of what could - eventually - develop into artificial general intelligence. OpenAI and Meta are gearing up to launch new AI models, promising huge advances in reasoning and planning capabilities. "We are hard at work in figuring out how to get these models not just to talk, but actually to reason, to plan . . . to have memory," said Joelle Pineau, vice-president of AI research at Meta. Similarly, Brad Lightcap, chief operating officer at OpenAI, highlighted progress made towards solving "hard problems" such as reasoning, indicating a shift in the AI landscape. "We're going to start to see AI that can take on more complex tasks in a more sophisticated way," Lightcap told the Financial Times in an interview.
5 Key Generative AI Announcements from Google Cloud Next: Is Google Closing the Gap? - BRET KINSELLA, Synthedia
Okay, Google was not talking about the traditional view of AI agents at Cloud Next when it introduced Vertex AI Agent Builder. These are generative AI applications that Microsoft calls Copilots, and others (AKA OpenAI) might call assistants or chatbots. A classical definition of AI agents generally suggests some autonomy and “agency” to make decisions when interacting with other variables, such as web services or applications, and not simply extracting information from data sources. Analysis, summarization, and generation don’t fit this classical definition of AI agents. Google is referring to request-response systems that leverage generative AI. Google’s AI Agents are ChatGPT-style solutions grounded in your defined data sources and preferences.
New AWS survey reveals the link between AI fluency and the next education revolution - Kim Majerus, AWS Public Sector Blog
Access Partnership recently conducted a study commissioned by Amazon Web Services (AWS) on AI skills across various industries globally—including education. The study found that employers and employees in the education sector anticipate that AI utilization will improve productivity by more than one-third. When asked what their organization would do with 33 percent more capacity, both employees and employers identified task automation as the top productivity benefit. In addition, a majority of education employers (57 percent) envision generative AI driving innovation and creativity within their organization, and 38 percent expect to use generative AI tools significantly in the next five years. But as demand for AI talent across all industries grows, training for employees will be the best option to bridge the AI knowledge gap. Just 14 percent of employees say they have “advanced” AI fluency today,
Sunday, April 21, 2024
Innovations in AI and Higher Education - Nick Fetty, New York Academy of Sciences
From the future of higher education to regulating artificial intelligence (AI), Reid Hoffman and Nicholas Dirks had a wide-ranging discussion during the first installment of the Authors at the Academy series. It was nearly a full house when authors Nicholas Dirks and Reid Hoffman discussed their respective books during an event at The New York Academy of Sciences on March 27, 2024. Hoffman, who co-founded LinkedIn as well as Inflection AI and currently serves as a partner at Greylock, discussed his book Impromptu: Amplifying Our Humanity Through AI. Dirks, who spent a career in academia before becoming President and CEO of the Academy, focused on his recently published book City of Intellect: The Uses and Abuses of the University. Their discussion, the first installment in the Authors at the Academy series, was largely centered on artificial intelligence (AI) and how it will impact education, business and creativity moving forward.
Exploring the fast-growing role of AI in academic research - University World News
Research that uses generative AI is expanding rapidly across fields, and is said to be accelerating and transforming scientific knowledge. Today we launch a weekly series of articles on AI and Research exploring the multiplying ways in which AI is involved in higher education research. The series will culminate in a special briefing in June.
The rise of micro-credentials: The end of universities? - Hakan Ergin and John Brennan, University World News
Micro-credentials have recently been high on the agendas of various higher education stakeholders across the world. Supranational organisations, such as the OECD and the European Commission, have begun to explore further use of micro-credentials in member countries’ higher education systems. Employers, on the other hand, have started to use micro-credentials in their hiring procedures. In a recent study, 5,000 university students, recent graduates and employers across 11 countries were surveyed by Coursera, a leading micro-credential provider, in collaboration with Repdata and Dynata, two market research companies. It was revealed that 72% of employers tend to employ a candidate who holds a micro-credential. Similarly, 90% of students and recent graduates agree that micro-credentials enable them to stand out to potential employers.
Saturday, April 20, 2024
AI and HE around the world – Evolution and revolution? - University World News
Join us on a journey around the globe, through the eyes of our expert commentators and correspondents. How are universities engaging with the rise and rapid evolution of GenAI? With the ethical challenges and assessment opportunities? With the research opportunities and threats? With the AI race to lead the world of science? As Professor Rick Stevens of the University of Chicago told a United States senate committee in September 2023: “Whoever leads the world in AI will lead in science.”
Upskilling demands the desire to be open to learning - Gaurav Bhagat, Education Times
To enhance your career growth and open new career opportunities, professionals need to upgrade their skills. Investing in continuous learning is becoming a necessity rather than a luxury in today’s dynamic labour market, where 54% of workers report needing to upskill or reskill within the next year, according to a recent LinkedIn survey. One has access to an abundance of courses through educational websites. At your own pace and leisure, master data science from world-class universities, refine your coding abilities with Google, or explore the nuances of negotiation from Oxford. Bite-sized courses are available on microlearning sites are making them ideal for hectic schedules. In just a few minutes, these digestible knowledge chunks can provide you with the necessary abilities for project management, graphic design, or public speaking.
Illinois State University Embarks on Ethical AI Journey - Roman Rember, ElBlog
Illinois State University establishes a multidisciplinary committee to create a strategic framework for the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence. The committee aims to guide the campus community in leveraging AI while prioritizing ethical considerations, cross-divisional collaboration, and developing a clearer stance on AI usage in various university domains.
Friday, April 19, 2024
OpenAI, Meta to roll out AI versions capable of planning, reasoning - Abhijeet Kumar, Business Standard
Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Meta will soon release artificial intelligence (AI) models capable of reasoning and planning, according to a Financial Times (FT) report. Meta has announced plans to release Llama 3 in the coming weeks, while OpenAI has revealed that its forthcoming AI model ‘GPT-5’, which will also be introduced soon, the report added. According to the FT report, Joelle Pineau, vice-president of AI research at Meta, said that the company is actively exploring the capabilities of large language models to engage in reasoning, planning, and memory functions. He said these models, which are the backbone of popular generative AI applications such as ChatGPT and Llama, are being studied for further enhancements.
Opinion: Higher Ed’s Reasons to Both Embrace and Fear AI - Jim A. Jorstad, Gov Tech
Much of the writing about artificial intelligence in higher education has been about the tool’s potential to enhance student learning, teaching strategies and the entire education process. Many say it might help identify and track students who would benefit from additional support and resources. However, there are significant warnings about the potential dangers of AI. Even comedian Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” recently opined about these, warning, “So I want your assurance that AI isn’t removing the human from the loop.” He questioned the possibility that humans will lose their jobs to AI technology.
85% of new people managers receive no formal training. This is why you can’t fake it - TOMAS CHAMORRO-PREMUZIC, Fast Company
If you are in a position of leadership, your job is unquestionably hard. You must deliver results; identify, develop, and retain talent; keep people motivated, even coach them; and manage your personal goals all while maintaining a positive reputation and coming across as authentic. Your life plays out on the jumbotron 24/7, and your organization’s priorities feel like they change hourly, so by definition, projects are always behind.
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