Category: GenAI News

Unis respond to new challenge of AI revolution

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A diverse group of university leaders in business attire is seated around a futuristic, circular conference table in a high-rise office with a panoramic city view. The table features a glowing blue holographic display in the center that reads 'UNIVERSITY RESPONSE: AI REVOLUTION' with an upward-trending arrow. Surrounding screens show various data and analytics, symbolizing strategic planning in response to technological shifts. Generated by Nano Banana.
As the AI revolution sweeps across all sectors, universities worldwide are strategically convening to forge their responses to this unprecedented challenge. This image captures academic leadership engaged in critical discussions and planning, focusing on how to adapt curricula, research, and institutional operations to embrace the new era of artificial intelligence. Image generated by Nano Banana.

Source

The Australian Financial Review

Summary

Australian universities are increasingly under pressure to adapt, as students expect to graduate not just with subject knowledge but with fluency in AI and the ability to work alongside it. Institutions are responding by integrating AI-capabilities into curricula, industry partnerships, and upskilling programmes. The change is driven as much by employer demands as student expectations. There are challenges—ethical issues, resource constraints, staff training, and policy development—but the sentiment is that universities can’t treat AI as an optional extra. To remain relevant, institutions must develop AI as part of professional preparation, incorporating both technical tools and human skills (judgement, adaptability).

Key Points

  • Students expect universities to prepare them for AI-enabled work; they see AI literacy as part of career readiness.
  • Universities are adding AI elements to teaching, curriculum, and partnerships with industry to meet those expectations.
  • Significant challenges: ensuring ethical use, upskilling staff, securing resources for tools, and creating relevant policy frameworks.
  • It’s not just about automating tasks; universities see need to emphasise human skills that AI can’t replicate (creativity, critical thinking, etc.).
  • Institutions are also feeling urgency: lagging behind risks graduates being underprepared for a changing job market.

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URL

https://www.afr.com/technology/unis-respond-to-new-challenge-of-ai-revolution-20250905-p5msot

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5

GenAI News

We are lecturers in Trinity College Dublin. We see it as our responsibility to resist AI

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Five distinguished individuals, appearing as senior academics in traditional robes, stand solemnly behind a large wooden table in an ornate, historic library. In front of them, a glowing orange holographic screen displays 'AI' with complex data and schematics. The scene conveys a sense of responsibility and potential resistance to AI within a venerable academic institution. Generated by Nano Banana.
In the hallowed halls of institutions like Trinity College Dublin, some educators are taking a principled stand, viewing it as their inherent responsibility to critically engage with and even resist the pervasive integration of AI into academic life. This image reflects a serious, considered approach to safeguarding traditional educational values amidst technological change. Image generated by Nano Banana.

Source

The Irish Times

Summary

Lecturers at Trinity College Dublin argue that even if all technical and ethical issues around generative AI were resolved, the use of GenAI still undermines fundamental elements of university education: fostering authentic human thinking, cultivating critique, and resisting the commodification of learning. They emphasise that GenAI produces plausible but shallow output, contributes to environmental and ethical harms, and can flatten student voice. The authors believe universities should reject the narrative that GenAI’s integration is inevitable, and instead double down on preserving human-centered pedagogies, critical thinking, and academic values.

Key Points

  • GenAI produces plausible but often shallow/false output; lacks true understanding.
  • Ethical, environmental, and social harms are tied to GenAI use.
  • Even with perfect versions, GenAI undermines authentic student thinking and writing.
  • Narratives of inevitability are resisted: universities can choose otherwise.
  • Universities should reaffirm critical, human intellectual labour and values.

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URL

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025/09/04/opinion-we-are-lecturers-in-trinity-college-we-see-it-as-our-responsibility-to-resist-ai/

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5

GenAI News

How AI Is Changing—Not ‘Killing’—College

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A diverse group of college students is gathered in a modern university library or common area, with some holding tablets or looking at laptops. Above them, a large, glowing word cloud hovers, filled with terms related to artificial intelligence and its impact. Prominent words include "HELPFUL," "FUTURE," "ETHICS," "CHEATING," "BIAS," and "CONCERNING," reflecting a range of student opinions. The overall impression is one of active discussion and varied perspectives on AI. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.
What do the next generation of leaders and innovators think about artificial intelligence? This visual captures the dynamic and often contrasting views of college students on AI’s role in their education, future careers, and daily lives. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.

Source

Inside Higher Ed

Summary

A new Student Voice survey by Inside Higher Ed and Generation Lab captures how U.S. college students are adapting to generative AI in their studies and what they expect from institutions. Of the 1,047 students surveyed, 85 per cent had used AI tools in the past year—mainly for brainstorming, tutoring, and studying—while only a quarter admitted to using them for completing assignments. Most respondents called for universities to provide education on ethical AI use and clearer, standardised policies, rather than policing or banning the technology. Although students are divided about AI’s impact on critical thinking, most agree it can enhance learning if used responsibly. The majority do not view AI as diminishing the value of college; some even see it as increasing it.

Key Points

  • 85 per cent of students have used AI tools for coursework, mainly for brainstorming and study support.
  • 97 per cent want universities to respond to AI’s impact on academic integrity through education, not restriction.
  • Over half say AI has mixed effects on critical thinking; 27 per cent find it enhances learning.
  • Students want institutions to offer professional and ethical AI training, not leave it to individual faculty.
  • Only 18 per cent believe AI reduces the value of college; 23 per cent say it increases it.

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URL

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/academics/2025/08/29/survey-college-students-views-ai

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5

GenAI News

Will AI Make You Stupid?

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A digital representation of a human brain with glowing teal data streams and circuit-like patterns flowing out from its right side, against a dark, technical background with a subtle digital frame. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.
Exploring the cognitive impact of artificial intelligence: Will reliance on AI enhance our intellect or diminish our critical thinking abilities? Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.

Source

The Economist

Summary

A Massachusetts Institute of Technology study has found that students using ChatGPT during essay-writing tasks showed reduced brain activity in areas linked to creativity and attention. Similar research from Microsoft and the SBS Swiss Business School supports the claim that frequent AI use may diminish critical thinking, fostering “cognitive miserliness,” or the tendency to offload mental effort. While experts caution that the evidence is not yet conclusive, they warn that excessive reliance on AI could erode problem-solving and creative skills over time. Historical parallels—such as Socrates’ scepticism about writing—suggest technological tools often reshape, but do not destroy, cognitive abilities. The article concludes that using AI thoughtfully—prompting step by step and reflecting critically—can help preserve intellectual engagement even as automation advances.

Key Points

  • MIT researchers observed reduced creative and attentional brain activity in AI-assisted students.
  • Frequent AI users performed worse on critical-thinking tests in a Swiss study.
  • Over-reliance on AI can create “cognitive offloading” and feedback loops of dependence.
  • Experts urge reflective, guided use—AI as assistant, not replacement.
  • Strategies such as incremental prompting and “cognitive forcing” can sustain mental effort.
  • Evidence remains mixed: AI may change, but not necessarily weaken, human intelligence.

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URL

https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/07/16/will-ai-make-you-stupid

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5

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