As we approach the second anniversary of ChatGPT’s release in November, I want to reflect on its impact. Created by OpenAI, ChatGPT revolutionized user interaction with AI by making conversations feel natural. The model’s extensive training data enables it to generate human-like responses, a major leap in natural language processing. This jump forward means we now have a powerful generative AI, capable of creating language independently.
This technological advancement sparked a tidal wave of interest and concern starting in December 2022. While the initial frenzy has settled, the debate over harnessing AI for good versus addressing its drawbacks remains unresolved. For instance, the growing energy demands of AI-integrated online platforms are alarming. Higher Education must engage in these discussions, offering diverse perspectives to tackle these issues. We owe to our students as educators and an institution to guide them in a world in which we will digest knowledge and create content in new ways.
At Learning Innovation and Lifetime Education, we’ve been actively tracking these developments, particularly their implications for teaching and learning. Since spring 2023, we’ve hosted town halls and workshops to educate faculty and staff on how to use generative AI, explore its relevance in higher education, and understand its ethical challenges. We’ve guided faculty on integrating AI in classrooms and crafting effective generative AI policies through a comprehensive online guide for instructors about AI, workshops, and one-on-one consultations. We’ve increasingly collaborated with various departments and schools to facilitate localized discussions around AI.
This fall, our focus shifts to showcasing instructors experimenting with generative AI and preparing instructors interested in exploring AI in education.
- There will be frequent posts on our blog about instructors innovating with generative AI. We encourage you to read our first one now about Dr. Minna Ng’s use of AI in her Neuroscience courses. If you have an innovative AI story to share, contact us at lile@duke.edu.
- We are updating two important workshops about speaking to students about AI (ethics, citation, policies, etc.) on November 1, as well as considerations for designing an AI assignment on November 8.
- Our online resources on generative AI and teaching will be updated to provide specifics on writing prompts and using Copilot.
Join us for our Fall 2024 events on generative artificial intelligence and education!