Refining AI to enhance the future of learning is in our hands

By Michael M. Crow
A week rarely goes by that I am not asked about the future of higher education and the impact of rapidly advancing technology. The questions are valid, even when the tone is pessimistic. The common presumption being that fast-moving technology, and more specifically Augmented Intelligence, are a danger to the quality, ethics and humanity of higher education. As an optimist, my strong belief that AI presents an unprecedented opportunity to tangibly enhance–not dismantle–the future of education for global learners sometimes yields disappointment.
We live in a fast-paced world of increasing complexity. Higher education, like many sectors, finds itself multitasking to tackle challenges both old and new. Historically, higher education has been slow to embrace change and position itself to maximize enrollment, retention, degree attainment and graduate employability. Add to that more recent urgencies related to educational access, insufficient infrastructure, constantly evolving workforce demands, and the need for better solutions is obvious.
At their core, universities are valuable hubs of knowledge and intellectual curiosity. They are logical places to explore AI capabilities and help shape its development as a responsible tool. New organizational designs, strategic collaborations and resources have an important part to play in reimagining higher education. Applied thoughtfully however, AI has the potential to facilitate transformational outcomes across the board in teaching, learning and discovery.
Well-designed AI tools–those that place humans at the center of their mission–have the ability to optimize engagement at every level of an institution. However, universities have to move beyond outmoded protocols, bureaucratic constraints and pop culture anxiety to embrace responsible and creative use that fosters effective and efficient solutions.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a clear lesson that the ability to quickly and flexibly pivot services with the help of technology kept the world moving forward. The same is true today. AI-based, quality education tools are able to enhance access to equitable learning options, regardless of where a student lives or works.
With the help of AI-generated predictive analytics, students are now using specially designed electronic advisors and gamified surveys to find personalized pathways to a degree and a career. Thanks to readily available AI-tailored instructional and tutoring programs in math, English and science, we can see how students learn in real time, identify where help is needed, and derive custom approaches that keep academic progress on track. Through the use of adaptive learning data and tools, no subject is outside the realm of mastery, and as educators, we are accountable to synthesize this information and devise better ways to teach.
Of major significance, is what faculty and students are able to do with the help of AI.
At present, university community members are leveraging AI technology to support better living and learning environments for all. Examples include rapid data analysis to assess climate disaster risks, identify community food supply gaps, enhance the quality of life for the vision impaired, and speed diagnosis and treatment for people with cardiovascular disease. These are a fraction of the ways that AI is evaluating vast amounts of data and formulating improved processes and efficiencies, but they demonstrate that our effective use of AI is only limited by our imaginations.
While higher education continues to debate the value of this already pervasive technology, multiple other sectors are already integrating it across their operations and reaping the benefits of its extensive capacity. In turn, the jobs, products and services we are preparing students to take on after graduation are changing, and the gap between workforce needs and higher ed curriculums is widening.
The ethical use and development of any new technology is essential. The impact of AI related to academic integrity warrants serious attention and action. That said, higher education has an incredible opportunity to drive specific areas of AI study, implementation and solutions that address teaching and learning optimization, enrollment, faculty shortages, funding and infrastructure constraints, degree attainment gaps and far more.
Is AI a disruptive technology? Yes. Rather than handwringing, consider that our collaborative ability to focus its power and personalization on human empowerment and success is very real. The evolution of AI does not have to happen to us. It can happen for us to solve complex problems and support human success. The sooner we take the reins to democratize high-quality, equitable and innovative education, the better for us all.
(The author is Arizona State University President)