Thursday, October 17, 2024

Unraveling the dynamics of ChatGPT adoption and utilization through Structural Equation Modeling - Khalida Parveen, et al; Nature Scientific Reports

ChatGPT, an advanced Artificial Intelligence tool, is getting considerable attention in higher education. ChatGPT significantly changes the student learning experience through its AI-aided support, personalized study assistance and effective educational experiences, and it has become an object of particular interest in this context. This research aimed to build a technology acceptance and usage model that encapsulates the elements influencing students’ adoption and utilization of ChatGPT, drawing on constructs from the ‘Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology’ and ‘Flow Theory’. 

WPI Researcher Receives National Science Foundation Grant to Study How Humans Interact With Artificial Intelligence - WPI

Roee Shraga, assistant professor of computer science and data science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), has received $175,000 from the National Science Foundation to scrutinize the human aspects of data discovery and integration. The research project aims to explore the critical role of human involvement in data preparation processes to identify and address biases that automated systems may fail to detect. “We’ll be able to create the future framework that will be better for users,” Shraga said. “It will lead to better data, better data sets, and a better user interface for people searching for the data.” 

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Altera uses GPT-4o to build a new area of human collaboration - OpenAI

The early success of Altera’s vision has generated widespread interest, particularly for their first product—a digital human that can play and interact in virtual environments like Minecraft. It’s also laying the foundation for future, and more complex, multi-agent simulations. Altera plans to scale its efforts to create entire societies of digital humans capable of nuanced, long-term interactions, with applications ranging from gaming to productivity and many others. Their collaboration with OpenAI has positioned Altera to lead the charge in creating a world where digital and human lives intersect in thought-provoking ways.

https://openai.com/index/altera/

The Sound of Progress: How AI is Revolutionizing Audio in E-Learning - Zenyai Zenyai, Medium

The integration of AI in e-learning audio is not just a technological advancement; it’s a paradigm shift in how we approach online education. By enhancing audio quality, personalizing content delivery, and improving accessibility, AI is creating more engaging, effective, and inclusive learning experiences. As this technology continues to evolve, we can expect e-learning platforms to become even more sophisticated, adaptive, and learner-centric, ultimately leading to better educational outcomes for students worldwide.The future of e-learning sounds bright, and AI is the conductor orchestrating this symphony of progress in online education.

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Huge ChatGPT Upgrade - Introducing “Canvas” - Matthew Berman, YouTube

 This podcast is about a new feature released by OpenAI for ChatGPT called Canvas. Canvas allows users to collaborate with ChatGPT in new ways for writing and coding tasks.  The host, Matthew Berman, explains how Canvas allows users to give ChatGPT instructions to edit specific parts of text or code, and to iterate on those edits in real-time. He demonstrates how to use Canvas to write a story, making changes to the length, reading level, and even adding emojis. He also shows how to use Canvas to generate code for a game, change the programming language, add comments, and fix bugs. (summary of description completed with Gen AI assistance)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx7I06w6vVA

OpenAI New AI Operating System LAUNCHED | Is "Canvas" the New God-Tier Coder? - Wes Roth, YouTube

This video is about OpenAI's new AI Operating System called Canvas. Canvas is a new way of working with ChatGPT to write and code. It is similar to Anthropic's Artifacts but in some ways better. ChatGPT will do this in real time, and you can then copy the code and paste it into your notepad, save it as an HTML file, and open it in your browser. The game will now have the new functionality. You can continue to add more and more functionality to the game, and ChatGPT will continue to update the code in real time. This is a very powerful tool that has the potential to revolutionize the way we write and code. (summarizing the podcast provided in part by Gen AI)


Monday, October 14, 2024

AI in higher education: bridging students’ and educators’ views - Business World

“There are mixed reactions from educators with regards to AI in the classroom,” Bruce Dahlgren, CEO of Anthology, said in an exclusive statement shared with BusinessWorld. “We recently conducted a survey of university leaders and students in the Philippines about their perceptions of AI. It revealed that university leaders have certain reservations around allowing AI in higher education, perceiving it as being unethical. Students, on the other hand, were optimistic about the role AI could play in increasing engagement and improving teaching and learning methods.” “Regardless of one’s perception of AI in higher education, the reality is that it’s here to stay. As with every new and powerful technology, there are risks and opportunities. Our goal is to help institutions use AI ethically and responsibly to benefit students and institutional operations,” Mr. Dahlgren said.

71% of Australian uni staff are using AI. What are they using it for? What about those who aren’t? - Stephen Hay, et al; the Conversation

Some studies have focused on students’ use of AI. There has also been research on what it means for teaching and assessment. But there has been no large-scale research on how university staff in Australia are using AI in their work. Our new study surveyed more than 3,000 academic and professional staff at Australian universities about how they are using generative AI. Overall, 71% of respondents said they had used generative AI for their university work. Academic staff were more likely to use AI (75%) than professional staff (69%) or sessional staff (62%). Senior staff were the most likely to use AI (81%).

Sunday, October 13, 2024

Employers Say Students Need AI Skills. What If Students Don’t Want Them? - Ashley Mowreader, Inside Higher Ed

Colleges and universities are considering new ways to incorporate generative AI into teaching and learning, but not every student is on board with the tech yet.“The big picture is that it’s not going to slow down and it’s not going to go away, so we need to work quickly to ensure that the future workforce is prepared,” says Shawn VanDerziel, president and CEO of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). “That’s what employers want. They want a prepared workforce, and they want to know that higher education is equipped to fill those needs of industry.”

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/life-after-college/2024/10/03/are-ai-skills-key-part-career-preparation

New funding to scale the benefits of AI - OpenAI

 We are making progress on our mission to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. Every week, over 250 million people around the world use ChatGPT to enhance their work, creativity, and learning. Across industries, businesses are improving productivity and operations, and developers are leveraging our platform to create a new generation of applications. And we’re only getting started. We’ve raised $6.6B in new funding at a $157B post-money valuation to accelerate progress on our mission. The new funding will allow us to double down on our leadership in frontier AI research, increase compute capacity, and continue building tools that help people solve hard problems.

https://openai.com/index/scale-the-benefits-of-ai/

Saturday, October 12, 2024

OpenAI introduces new tools to fast-track building of AI voice assistants - Reuters

OpenAI unveiled a host of new tools on Tuesday that would make it easier for developers to build applications based on its artificial intelligence technology, as the ChatGPT maker wrestles with tech giants to keep up in the generative AI race. The Microsoft-backed (MSFT.O), opens new tab startup said a new real-time tool, rolling out immediately for testing, would allow developers to create AI voice applications using a single set of instructions. A large chunk of OpenAI's revenue comes from businesses that use its services to build their own AI applications, making the rollout of advanced capabilities a key selling point. Competition has also been heating up as technology giants, including Google-parent Alphabet (GOOGL.O), opens new tab, integrate AI models capable of crunching different forms of information such as video, audio and text across their businesses.

France appoints first AI minister - Jack Aldane, Global Government Forum

Clara Chappaz has been made France’s first AI minister and will assume the role in prime minister Michel Barnier’s new cabinet. The decision to appoint a dedicated AI official came amid political unrest following France’s legislative elections in June and July. Subsequently, leadership positions in the French government have undergone significant change. Chappaz is the former director of the French Tech Mission, France’s public administration set up to support French tech start-up programmes. Responding to the news of her appointment, Chappaz took to LinkedIn to say she was pleased to further her “commitment to public action on these major subjects of digital and artificial intelligence”.

Friday, October 11, 2024

The Future Of Learning: How AI Is Revolutionizing Education - Khushi Bhanushali, Youth Incorporated

We have heard about AI in fashion, Gaming, Chatting, Robotics, Agriculture, and Finance but did you know AI has already entered into education world with a rapidly evolving technological landscape, the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and education is not just a future possibility; it is imminent. Imagine a classroom where each student has a personal tutor—an AI-driven guide that knows their strengths, weaknesses, and learning pace. This tutor adapts lessons in real-time, provides instant feedback, and even offers engaging challenges tailored to individual curiosity, receives personalized, builds stronger connections with teachers for enhanced guidance and receives apt recognition and evaluation of their achievements.  

New AI models are more likely to give a wrong answer than admit they don't know - Anna Desmarais, Yahoo! News

Newer large language models (LLMs) are less likely to admit they don’t know an answer to a user’s question making them less reliable, according to a new study. Artificial intelligence (AI) researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de València in Spain tested the latest versions of BigScience’s BLOOM, Meta’s Llama, and OpenAI's GPT for accuracy by asking each model thousands of questions on maths, science, and geography. Researchers compared the quality of the answers of each model and classified them into correct, incorrect, or avoidant answers.

Thursday, October 10, 2024

ChatGPT-4o Shows ‘Friendly’ Behavior - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Education

 The app initiates personalized conversations and offers responses without a prompt. This signals a shift toward agentic AI, where models act more like colleagues. In any case, this capability is a startling advancement with GPT moving into a “coworker” or “friend” mode. Here’s what happened: Some users of 4o noticed last month that without a prompt, the multimodal app spoke first—or wrote first. It recalled a prior conversation with the person using the log-on and asked a relevant question.  

Bowdoin Secures Major Grant for AI Teaching and Learning Initiative - Tom Porter, Bowdoin

Professor of Physics Dale Syphers recalls the epiphanic moment last year when he realized the extent, and the imminence, of the AI (artificial intelligence) revolution. The moment came around the time of President Safa Zaki’s inauguration last fall, when he got into deep conversation with an old friend, computer scientist Peter Norvig. A renowned expert on AI, Norvig came to campus to take part in a panel discussion on how society might embrace this new technology.

Wednesday, October 09, 2024

EverCo launches 2,000 AI agents for universities

EverCo announces the launch of EverAgent for higher education, transforming how universities and colleges engage with students, staff, and prospective families. Over 2,000 conversational AI chatbots have been auto-created and customized for universities across the U.S., allowing institutions to test the capabilities of EverAgent in real-time. University employees can visit the EverCo website to find their institution's chatbot for testing and discover how EverAgent will shift the paradigm of higher education engagement.

Does AI Have a Place in Higher Education? Academics Say Yes, with a But - Patrick Harbin, Kennesaw State

Now that artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft’s Copilot allow students to create essays, complex calculations, and discussion posts in seconds, how can colleges and universities guarantee students are learning rather than simply learning to use AI? According to Kai Larsen, a renowned AI researcher and the keynote speaker at Kennesaw State University’s recent “AI in Higher Education” symposium, educators shouldn’t be afraid of AI. Instead, faculty should teach students to use the tools confidently while continuing to measure their ability to perform the same tasks on their own.

Tuesday, October 08, 2024

Students as co-creators in online learning - Dean Fido & Gary F. Fisher, Times Higher Ed

Giving students paid opportunities to co-design online learning content offers multiple benefits for both learners and institutions, including enhancing learning experiences, reducing academic workload for staff and addressing the awarding gap. An initiative at the University of Derby offered paid employment to current students as learning design assistants during which they contributed to the development and enhancement of online course materials. This approach not only offers students academically relevant employment, it also aims to make online learning environments more inclusive and effective for a diverse student population.

Future You is an interactive experience for cultivating self-reflection and long-term thinking - MIT

Inspired by studies showing how increased “future self-continuity”—the degree of continuity an individual feels with their future self—can positively influence saving behavior, academic performance, mental health, and subjective quality of life, our interactive, web-based chat platform seeks to similarly help users develop more long-term thinking and behavior by strengthening their relationship with a relatable yet virtual version of their future selves. The conversation with the future self is generated in real-time via a large language model that has been personalized based on a pre-intervention survey assessing user future goals and personal qualities. Have a chat with your future self!


Monday, October 07, 2024

AI in Education: Student Usage in Online Learning - Nikolas McGehee, Michigan Virtual

The integration of AI in education has the potential to revolutionize the learning experience for students. AI-powered tools and platforms can provide personalized learning experiences tailored to individual students' needs, learning styles, and abilities. Most other current research on the effectiveness of AI in education is focused on adult learners and generally leans towards the positive when concerned with achievement and perceptions (Kumar & Raman, 2022; Zheng et al., 2023).These studies also show that adult students believe AI is best served for usage by students and teachers in assistance of assignment creation or completion, as well as tutoring systems or research assistants as opposed to automated assessment use cases.

https://michiganvirtual.org/research/publications/ai-in-education-student-usage-in-online-learning/

How AI is Transforming the eLearning Industry [A Comprehensive Overview] - DDI

As the world continues to go digital, the eLearning industry is also undergoing significant changes. One of these changes is the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) into eLearning. According to research, the e-learning market is projected to reach $848.12 billion by 2030. At the same time, the AI market in education is expected to exceed USD 30 billion by 2032. Big things are coming. Business owners in the education sector need to be aware of the impact of AI on eLearning to stay ahead of the competition and provide their learners/employees with the best learning experience. In this case, AI software development for eLearning needs may be required. It can be AI in an LMS or AI integrated into another employee management system. In this article, we'll discuss how AI is transforming the eLearning industry, what benefits it can offer businesses, and how to use AI to stay one step ahead.

https://ddi-dev.com/blog/it-news/how-ai-is-transforming-the-elearning-industry-a-comprehensive-overview/

Sunday, October 06, 2024

How AI Impacts Online Learning - Chris Haroun, Forbes

Consider Udemy (disclaimer: I sell some of my courses on this platform). In its November 2023 earnings call, the company’s president and CEO, Greg Brown, noted: “We will continue to invest in innovation that leverages generative AI to provide more personalized skills-development experiences, help enterprise customers achieve business outcomes and supercharge instructors’ ability to create highly effective content.” In my view, Brown was pointing to a key way AI stands to impact education, especially online education: greater personalization. The students of the future, I believe, will have more power to shape their learning how they see fit. And personalized learning is just one key way AI stands to impact education.

https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/12/12/how-ai-impacts-online-learning/


The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Online Learning - Rebecca Burylo, Faukner University

Artificial intelligence (AI) is growing rapidly, with generative AI forecasted to become a $1.3 trillion market by 2032. Many sectors have been leveraging this technology to innovate processes, including higher education. For colleges and universities, the impact of AI is particularly felt with online learning (eLearning). Faulkner University in Alabama offers numerous online degree programs. Here, we examine the role of AI in online learning to regularly enhance programs and better meet students’ needs. Discover some areas where AI is changing online learning.

Saturday, October 05, 2024

120 IQ AI: Threat or Opportunity? - Peter H. Diamandis, Diamandis.com

Most people you meet are probably average, and a few are extraordinarily smart. Just 2.2 percent have an IQ of 130 or greater. "The classic finding — I would say it is the most replicated finding in psychology — is that people who are good at one type of mental task tend to be good at them all," says Stuart Ritchie, an intelligence researcher at the University of Edinburgh. This is why OpenAI's model o1 achieving an IQ score of 120 is so significant. It's not just outperforming the average human—it's surpassing 91% of the population in a test designed to measure general intelligence.






Generative AI adoption surpasses early PC and internet usage, study finds - Michael Nuñez, Venture Beat

The rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic in tech circles. But new research from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Vanderbilt University, and Harvard Kennedy School reveals the true extent of generative AI’s infiltration into everyday work life—and the results are eye-opening. According to the paper, The Rapid Adoption of Generative AI, the technology has taken hold faster than previous transformative technologies like the personal computer (PC) or the internet. Here are five surprising takeaways from the study, which surveyed thousands of U.S. workers to gauge the adoption of generative AI at work and at home.

Friday, October 04, 2024

Quantum sensing’s untapped potential: Insights for leaders - Henning Soller and Niko Mohr, McKinsey Digital

Quantum sensing, which allows sensors to collect data at the atomic level, is a tested technology. It has broad applications in commercial products (such as medical devices), in services (such as navigation), and as an enabler of internal processes (such as quality control)—and the technology is already usable. It enables many types of measurements that are currently too difficult to achieve, not precise enough, or simply unfeasible otherwise. Depending on the underlying technology, the size, weight, and power of the sensors enable a variety of use cases in different industries, making further deployment of quantum-computing sensors outside the lab possible.

OpenAI CEO: “SuperIntelligence within 1000’s of Days” - Matthew Berman, YouTube

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has posted about the potential impact of artificial superintelligence (ASI) on society. Altman argues that AI is on the verge of a major breakthrough, and that we could see superintelligence within a few thousand days. He believes that AI will transform everything we know, and that it will ultimately lead to a new era of prosperity for humanity. Altman outlines a number of ways that AI will improve our lives. For example, he believes that AI will soon be able to serve as personal assistants who can carry out specific tasks on our behalf, such as coordinating our medical care or summarizing our emails.  Altman acknowledges that there are also some risks associated with AI, such as job displacement. (assistance with summary of the podcast was provided by GenAI)

Thursday, October 03, 2024

AI + Blue Collar Work: Will Automation Take Over Skilled Trades? - Julia McCoy, YouTube

The video discusses the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics on blue-collar jobs, also known as skilled trades and service-based work. Examples are given of how AI and robotics are already being used in blue-collar industries. For instance, robots are laying bricks, tractors are plowing fields autonomously, and there is an entirely automated restaurant called Cali Express in Pasadena California. The video concludes that humans will likely be in the loop in blue-collar work for quite some time. Even if robots are implemented, humans will still be needed for complex tasks, customer rapport, and overseeing the robots. (summary assisted by GenAI)

Announcing the OpenAI Academy

New initiative will fuel innovation by investing in developers and organizations leveraging AI, starting in low- and middle-income countries. OpenAI is launching the OpenAI Academy, which will invest in developers and organizations leveraging AI to help solve hard problems and catalyze economic growth in their communities. The Academy will ensure that the transformative potential of artificial intelligence is accessible and beneficial to diverse communities worldwide, starting in low- and middle-income countries. Developers and mission-driven organizations tackle critical challenges in their communities, driving economic opportunity. Having access to cutting-edge technology like AI can help enhance efforts to drive sustainable development.

https://openai.com/global-affairs/openai-academy/

Wednesday, October 02, 2024

AI Pioneer Shows The Power of AI AGENTS - "The Future Is Agentic" - Matthew Berman, Youtube

The video introduces the concept of compound AI systems. AI agents are a type of compound AI system that uses a large language model (LLM) as the central component. Andrew Ng explains Agentic AI.  He explains the string of reasoning that can be accomplished by agents.  AI agents are able to reason through problems and come up with plans to solve them. They can also access memory and learn from past interactions. This makes them much more useful, adaptable and human thought-like than traditional AI models.  (GenAI assisted with the summary of the video)

The Rise of GPT-5: What to Expect from AI in 2024 - Sumedha Sen, Analytics Insight

The advancements in artificial intelligence continue to reshape various industries and aspects of daily life, transforming everything from customer service to complex problem-solving. One of the most highly anticipated developments in AI is the release of GPT-5, the next iteration in OpenAI's Generative Pre-trained Transformer series.  As the world prepares for this major milestone in 2024, many are eager to explore what new features and enhancements GPT-5 will bring. In this article, we’ll delve into the evolution of GPT models and what we can expect from GPT-5 and the broader AI landscape.


Tuesday, October 01, 2024

The Future of AI in Higher Education - EDUCAUSE

The higher education community is still looking for common ground on how AI should and should not be used for learning and work. Respondents were asked to describe both appropriate and inappropriate uses of AI in higher education. In general, respondents emphasized the ethical and transparent use of AI, no matter the specific application. One respondent summarized, "AI should be embraced as an emerging technology and should have a place in coursework with focus on implementation, adoption, research, utilization, and ethical and legal considerations."

Artificial intelligence and the Futures of Learning - UNESCO

The Artificial Intelligence and the Futures of Learning project builds on the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence adopted at the 41st session of the UNESCO General Conference in 2019 and follows up on the recommendations of the UNESCO global report Reimagining our futures together: a new social contract for education, launched in November 2021. It is implemented within the framework of the Beijing Consensus on Artificial Intelligence and Education and against the backdrop of the UNESCO Strategy on technological innovation in education (2021-2025). The project will address both the human and technological dimensions related to AI and the futures of learning.