Day: 5 October 2025

20 years later: How AI is revolutionising my ‘Back to College’ experience

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A split image contrasting two learning experiences separated by two decades. On the left, titled "20 YEARS AGO," a man in a cluttered study sits at a wooden desk with an old CRT monitor and stacks of physical books, diligently reading. On the right, titled "TODAY: THE AI REVOLUTION," the same man, now older, sits in a sleek, futuristic study, wearing AR glasses and interacting with holographic displays and a laptop that shows complex AI interfaces, symbolizing a transformed "back to college" experience. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.
For returning students, the “back to college” experience has been profoundly revolutionised by artificial intelligence over the past two decades. This image starkly contrasts traditional learning methods from 20 years ago with today’s AI-enhanced academic environment, highlighting how AI tools, from personalised learning platforms to advanced research assistants, are reshaping education for adult learners. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.

Source

TechRadar

Summary

Tech writer Paul Hatton reflects on how AI-driven tools have transformed the student experience since his own university days. Testing Genio Notes, an AI-powered note-taking app, he explores how technology now supports learning through features like real-time transcription, searchable notes, automated lecture summaries and quizzes. The app’s design reflects a shift toward integrated, AI-assisted study methods that enhance engagement and retention. While praising its accuracy and convenience, Hatton notes subscription costs and limited organisational options as drawbacks. His personal experiment captures the contrast between analogue education and today’s AI-augmented learning environment.

Key Points

  • Genio Notes uses AI to record, transcribe and organise class content.
  • Features like “Outline” and “Quiz Me” automate revision and knowledge checks.
  • The app enhances accessibility and efficiency in study routines.
  • Hatton highlights the growing normalisation of AI-assisted learning.
  • Some limitations remain, including cost and folder structure flexibility.

Keywords

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URL

https://www.techradar.com/computing/websites-apps/20-years-later-how-ai-is-revolutionizing-my-back-to-college-experience

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5

GenAI News

Universities can turn AI from a threat to an opportunity by teaching critical thinking

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In a grand, tiered university lecture hall, a male professor stands at a podium addressing an audience of students, all working on laptops. Above them, a large holographic display illustrates a transformation: on the left, "AI: THE THREAT" is shown with icons for plagiarism and simplified thinking. In the middle, "CRITICAL THINKING: THE BRIDGE" connects to the right panel, "AI: OPPORTUNITY," which features icons for problem-solving and ethical AI use. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.
Universities have the potential to transform AI from a perceived threat into a powerful educational opportunity, primarily by emphasising and teaching critical thinking skills. This image visually represents critical thinking as the crucial bridge that allows students to navigate the challenges of AI, such as potential plagiarism and shallow learning, and instead harness its power for advanced problem-solving and ethical innovation. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.

Source

The Conversation

Summary

Anitia Lubbe argues that universities should stop treating AI primarily as a threat and instead use it to develop critical thinking. Her research team reviewed recent studies on AI in higher education, finding that generative tools excel at low-level tasks (recall and comprehension) but fail at high-level ones like evaluation and creativity. Traditional assessments, still focused on memorisation, risk encouraging shallow learning. Lubbe proposes redesigning assessments for higher-order skills—asking students to critique, adapt, and evaluate AI outputs. This repositions AI as a learning partner and shifts higher education toward producing self-directed, reflective, and analytical graduates.

Key Points

  • AI performs well on remembering and understanding tasks but struggles with evaluation and creation.
  • Current university assessments often reward the same low-level thinking AI already automates.
  • Teachers should design context-rich, authentic assessments (e.g. debates, portfolios, local case studies).
  • Students can use AI to practise analysis by critiquing or improving generated content.
  • Developing AI literacy, assessment literacy, and self-directed learning skills is key to ethical integration.

Keywords

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URL

https://theconversation.com/universities-can-turn-ai-from-a-threat-to-an-opportunity-by-teaching-critical-thinking-266187

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5

GenAI News

What is AI slop, and is it the end of civilization as we know it?

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A dystopian cityscape is overwhelmed by two colossal, shimmering, humanoid figures made of digital circuits and data, symbolizing AI. From their bodies, a torrent of digital debris, fragmented text, and discarded knowledge cascades onto the streets below, where tiny human figures struggle amidst the intellectual "slop." A giant question mark made of text hovers in the sky, reflecting the central question. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.
The term “AI slop” refers to the deluge of low-quality, often nonsensical content rapidly generated by artificial intelligence, raising urgent questions about its impact on information integrity and human civilization itself. This dramatic image visually encapsulates the overwhelming and potentially destructive nature of AI slop, prompting a critical examination of whether this deluge of digital detritus marks a turning point for humanity. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.

Source

RTE

Summary

The piece introduces AI slop — a term capturing the deluge of low-quality, mass-produced AI content flooding the web. Slop is described as formulaic, shallow, and often misleading—less about intelligence than volume. The article warns this glut of content blurs meaningful discourse, degrades trust in credible sources, and threatens to overwhelm attention economy. While it stops short of doomism, it argues that we must resist normalisation of slop by emphasising critical reading, curation, and human judgment.

Key Points

  • AI slop refers to content generated by AI that is high in volume but low in substance (generic, shallow, noise).
  • This flood of slop threatens to drown out signals: quality writing, expert commentary, local voices.
  • The problem is systemic: the incentives of clicks, cheap content creation, and algorithmic amplification feed its growth.
  • To counteract slop, the article encourages media literacy, fact-checking, and more discerning consumption.
  • Over time, unchecked proliferation could erode trust in digital media and make distinguishing truth from AI noise harder.

Keywords

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URL

https://www.rte.ie/culture/2025/1005/1536663-what-is-ai-slop-and-is-it-the-end-of-civilization-as-we-know-it/

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5

GenAI News