Last November, the Philosophy Department celebrated World Philosophy Day, an annual event. This day is an initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and is intended to promote the value of philosophy to change the world. As a part of World Philosophy Day, the University held a Zoom webinar discussing the use and future of AI in education.
The webinar opened with Nuno Fernandes, our University president, discussing the pros and cons of AI in education. He offered some thoughts on:
- The difficulty of determining what is real and what is fake thanks to the use of AI tools
- The biases programmed into artificial intelligence
- The pros and cons of what might be coming regarding the future use of AI
- How the University is becoming a global digital university
Philosophy Graduates Speak about Their Use of AI Tools
Later, a panel of five of our University’s philosophy graduates discussed what they have accomplished after graduation. These graduates have completed advanced degrees, and they also spoke about how they used AI tools in their academic and business pursuits.
For example, the application of AI was discussed in connection with healthcare and entrepreneurship. The discussion was lively and included addressing some questions from the audience.
Overall, the panel was divided in their opinions of AI in education. The consensus agreed that artificial intelligence would play a greater role in education going forward and that students needed to understand how to use this technology. Some of the panel members promoted the ethical use of AI while others remained more guarded about its benefits to securing an education.
University’s Provost and Faculty Members Discuss AI in Education
In addition, several faculty experts and I spoke about AI in education, including:
- Dr. Mitch Colver, the University’s Associate Provost
- Dr. Laura Culbertson, a faculty member in the School of Security and Global Studies
- Dr. Bjorn Mercer, the Department Chair of Communication for the School of Arts, Humanities, and Education
We spoke about the history of education and what we see as the next evolution. While there is still some caution expressed over students crossing the line and using AI tools to complete their schoolwork for them, there was also some encouragement about what AI can do not only on an academic level, but on a personal level as well.
Afterward, the speakers answered questions from the audience, such as:
- How to address issues of ownership of published material procured by AI
- How to address cheating by students
- How to best face an uncertain evolution in education
While the webinar did not offer any definite solutions to the problems many people feel are posed by the use of AI in education, it did bolster confidence that we can face technological changes together. The University can also work to provide the kind of learning and skills students need to thrive today and into the future.
Watch the Zoom webinar
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