Claude 3.5 Sonnet now supports PDF input and understands both text and visual content within documents - Anthropic

Claude works with any standard PDF. You can ask Claude about any text, pictures, charts, and tables in the PDFs you provide. Some sample use cases:

Analyzing financial reports and understanding charts/tables

Extracting key information from legal documents

Translation assistance for documents

Converting document information into structured formats

https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/build-with-claude/pdf-support

First pro vice-chancellor for artificial intelligence appointed - Juliet Roswell, Times Higher Ed

The UK’s first senior university leader dedicated solely to artificial intelligence is looking at embedding the technology into the curriculum and exploring options that could see students assessed on their capabilities in this area. As part of efforts to create “AI literate graduates”, Shushma Patel, pro vice-chancellor for artificial intelligence at De Montfort University, said one of her key priorities for the role – thought to be the first of its kind in the sector – was to “consider how we could embed a learning objective or a learning outcome within the curriculum where we recommend students use AI technologies”. The computer scientist said universities needed to encourage students to use AI in their studies, or risk graduates falling behind, adding that she was interested in looking at introducing assessments that would test students’ AI capabilities.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/first-pro-vice-chancellor-artificial-intelligence-appointed

Quantum Computer Launched for Generative AI - Bernice Baker, AI Business

Orca Computing has released its latest photonic quantum computer, PT-2, designed to tackle practical applications such as pharmaceutical development and biological imaging by integrating with generative AI models. PT-2 uses Nvidia’s CUDA-Q open-source platform for integrating and programming quantum processing units (QPUs), GPUs and CPUs in one system, offering quantum-enhanced machine learning capabilities. This means organizations could effectively embed quantum computing into generative AI and optimization workflows offering a potential route toward industrial-scale quantum AI.

https://aibusiness.com/generative-ai/quantum-computer-launched-for-generative-ai

AI Tops List of Most Important Technologies of 2025 - Heidi Vella, AI Business

The study by IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization, surveyed 355 technology leaders, including CIOs, CTOs, and IT directors, in Brazil, China, India, the U.K. and U.S. When asked to select the top three areas of technology that will be most important in 2025 from more than a dozen areas, respondents overwhelmingly ranked AI first (58%) marking the second consecutive year they have done so.  Cloud computing (26%) and robotics (24%) ranked second and third, respectively. 

https://aibusiness.com/generative-ai/ai-tops-list-of-most-important-technologies-of-2025

Study finds LLMs can identify their own mistakes - Ben Dickson, Venture Beat

A well-known problem of large language models (LLMs) is their tendency to generate incorrect or nonsensical outputs, often called “hallucinations.” While much research has focused on analyzing these errors from a user’s perspective, a new study by researchers at Technion, Google Research and Apple investigates the inner workings of LLMs, revealing that these models possess a much deeper understanding of truthfulness than previously thought. This finding suggests that current evaluation methods, which solely rely on the final output of LLMs, may not accurately reflect their true capabilities. It raises the possibility that by better understanding and leveraging the internal knowledge of LLMs, we might be able to unlock hidden potential and significantly reduce errors.

https://venturebeat.com/ai/study-finds-llms-can-identify-their-own-mistakes/

Educause ’24: University of Michigan's Journey With Generative AI - Abby Sourwine, GovTech

One major AI integration came in the form of U-M GPT, a chatbot that provides free access to the latest versions of large language models like GPT 4.0 and DALL-E 3. It has all the capabilities of these chatbots with a few customizations to best serve UM users. Pendse said the team also created a more focused AI tool, U-M Maizey, with which users can upload their own data sets to serve a customized GPT experience. In an academic setting, Maizey can be integrated with Canvas, the learning management system from the education software company Instructure, and used for things like generating practice exam questions and offering personalized tutoring. Pendse said the Canvas integration was designed to be simple — instructors can integrate in six minutes even without any coding experience.

https://www.govtech.com/education/higher-ed/educause-24-university-of-michigans-journey-with-generative-ai

What Can AI Chatbots Teach Us About How Humans Learn? - Jeffrey R. Young, EdSurge

Do new AI tools like ChatGPT actually understand language the same way that humans do? It turns out that even the inventors of these new large language models are debating that very question — and the answer will have huge implications for education and for all aspects of society if this technology can get to a point where it achieves what is known as Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI.A new book by one of those AI pioneers digs into the origins of ChatGPT and the intersection of research on how the brain works and building new large language models for AI. It’s called “ChatGPT and the Future of AI,” and the author is Terrence Sejnowski, a professor of biology at the University of California, San Diego, where he co-directs the Institute for Neural Computation and the NSF Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center. He is also the Francis Crick Chair at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.  

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2024-10-29-what-can-ai-chatbots-teach-us-about-how-humans-learn

ChatGPT 5: What We Know About OpenAI's Upcoming Model Orion - Shubham Arora, Times Now News

OpenAI is rumoured to be developing its next large language model (LLM), internally dubbed Orion or simply GPT-5. Following the largely successful run of earlier models like GPT-4, expectations of what Orion might offer are phenomenal. There were whispers of a potential December 2024 release, but information disclosed more recently from OpenAI indicates that this timeframe may not prevail anymore, especially following the exit of some key executive figures, including Mira Murati, the former CTO. Though the OpenAI Orion launch is a little far away, let's take a peek at what we expect from this new AI model.

https://www.timesnownews.com/technology-science/chatgpt-5-what-we-know-about-openais-upcoming-model-orion-article-114718940

Satya Nadella on the Future of AI - Douglas, AI Newsroom

In Nadella’s view, AI is transforming how we learn and work, with implications for every industry. He envisions a world where AI tutors are accessible to everyone, enabling a deeper, more personalized learning experience. “The big novelty is that every student can now have access to a personalized AI tutor throughout their life.” This unprecedented access to knowledge, combined with the flexibility of tools like GitHub Copilot, opens doors for students, professionals, and lifelong learners. On the future of work, Nadella emphasizes that AI’s purpose isn’t to eliminate jobs but to improve the quality of work. By automating tedious tasks, AI allows professionals to focus on higher-value activities.

https://the-ai-newsroom.com/p/satya-nadella-on-the-future-of-ai

AI is going to eliminate way more jobs than anyone realizes - Business Insider

 The rise of artificial intelligence has captured our imagination for decades, in whimsical movies and sober academic texts. A March Goldman Sachs report found over 300 million jobs around the world could be disrupted by AI, and the global consulting firm McKinsey estimated at least 12 million Americans would change to another field of work by 2030. A "gale of creative destruction," as economist Joseph Schumpeter once described it, will blow away countless firms and breathe life into new industries. It won't be all bleak: Over the coming decades, nongenerative and generative AI are estimated to add between $17 trillion and $26 trillion to the global economy. And crucially, many of the jobs that will be lost will be replaced by new ones.

https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-radically-reshape-job-market-global-economy-employee-labor-innovation-2023-8

Leveraging AI Agents to Transform the University Exam Experience - Talview

Artificial Intelligence has been transforming various sectors, and education is no exception. AI agents are revolutionizing how universities operate, offering new efficiencies and enhanced learning experiences. This blog explores the role of AI agents in universities, their current applications, benefits, challenges, and future trends. The adoption of AI agents in universities brings numerous benefits. They enhance efficiency and productivity by automating repetitive tasks, allowing staff to focus on more critical activities. AI agents provide personalized and adaptive learning experiences, improving student outcomes. They also support better resource management by optimizing schedules and facilities usage. In research, AI agents facilitate advanced data analysis and predictive modeling, driving innovation. Moreover, they offer support to faculty and staff, reducing administrative burdens.

https://blog.talview.com/en/leveraging-ai-agents-to-transform-the-university-exam-experience

How AI Is Reshaping Higher Education - AACSB

Because artificial intelligence will likely become the primary way humans access information, professors must prepare students to use the technology effectively in their lives and careers. Students will especially need to learn skills related to effective prompt engineering, which refers to the ability to craft questions that elicit the most useful answers from AI platforms. The more comfortable that faculty become with using AI, the better they will be at teaching students how to use this skill ethically and effectively in the years to come.

https://www.aacsb.edu/insights/articles/2023/10/how-ai-is-reshaping-higher-education

AI as a Service (AIaaS): What Higher Education Needs to Know - Tom Mangan, EdTech

Artificial intelligence in the cloud could be a helpful part of your IT tech stack, but just because something says AI doesn’t mean it’s necessary. AI as a Service lets colleges and universities consume advanced learning automation applications in bite-sized servings without having to develop AI solutions on their own. Because AIaaS is hosted in the cloud, services can scale up or down as needed. These benefits give higher education leaders vast opportunities to improve student services and optimize campus operations. At the same time, campus IT teams must wade through a muddle of AIaaS uncertainties related to data, security and the responsible use of AI. Read on to find out how to navigate this new environment and learn best practices for AIaaS success in higher education.

https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/ai-as-a-service-aiaas-perfcon

EDUCAUSE 2024: The Risks and Rewards of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education - EdTech

The world took notice when OpenAI released the high-powered large language model ChatGPT in November 2022. Nearly two years later, at EDUCAUSE 2024 in San Antonio, artificial intelligence was still a hot topic of conversation among higher education’s leading technologists. They mostly agree that AI is a tool that could be beneficial to colleges and universities in a number of ways, but acknowledge that just because an AI solution exists, that doesn’t mean it’s the right solution. Working backward from a problem to identify if AI is the best path forward is a good way to avoid making AI mistakes, and ensuring good data governance before implementing AI is vital to producing accurate outcomes.

https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/media/video/educause-2024-risks-and-rewards-artificial-intelligence-higher-education

Amazon-backed Anthropic debuts AI agents that can do complex tasks, racing against OpenAI, Microsoft and Google - Hayden Field, CNBC

Anthropic, the Amazon-backed AI startup founded by former OpenAI research executives, announced artificial intelligence agents that can use a computer to complete complex tasks like a human would.

AI agents are built for productivity and to complete multistep, complex tasks on a user’s behalf. Anthropic’s new Computer Use capability, part of its two newest AI models, allows its tech to interpret what’s on a computer screen, select buttons, enter text, navigate websites and execute tasks through any software and real-time internet browsing. The tool can “use computers in basically the same way that we do,” Jared Kaplan, Anthropic’s chief science officer, told CNBC in an interview, adding it can do tasks with “tens or even hundreds of steps.” 

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/22/anthropic-announces-ai-agents-for-complex-tasks-racing-openai.html

Education for all: An interview with Dr. Sven Schütt - McKinsey

Dr. Sven Schütt, CEO of the European university group IU Group (IUG), believes in lifelong learning and universally accessible education. IUG offers courses and degree programs in a variety of formats so that high school graduates and working adults can learn at their own pace and convenience. Founded in 2000, IUG, which currently has about 140,000 students enrolled worldwide, provides training, upskilling, and job certification across more than 250 degree programs and offers over 600 additional training programs.1 Schütt recently sat down with McKinsey partner Axel Domeyer to discuss how AI is transforming education—and his organization.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/education/our-insights/education-for-all-an-interview-with-dr-sven-schutt

Leveraging AI to Improve Learner Outcomes and Learner Records - UPCEA

The implementation of AI-driven tools in higher education is still in its early phases. It's clear that institutional staff either are still learning how to incorporate the tools into the learning process or are encountering obstacles in optimizing their use. This study revealed that interest in the potential of these technologies is far outpacing adoption. Most respondents are heavily involved in developing learner experiences and tracking outcomes, though nearly half report their institutions have yet to adopt AI-driven tools for these purposes. The research also found that only three percent of institutions have implemented Comprehensive Learner Records (CLRs), which provide a complete overview of an individual’s lifelong learning experiences. Download your copy of UPCEA and Instructure's latest research study today.

https://upcea.edu/ai-to-improve-learner-outcomes/

Here Come the AI Agents! - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

Anthropic offers the new function that enables its Sonnet version to control your computer: “Claude 3.5 Sonnet is the first frontier AI model to offer computer use in public beta.” This is just the beginning of the next phase of generative AI. Over the coming weeks and months, we will see many platforms offer this capability to users. So, what’s the big deal? It is the equivalent of moving from an automobile to a self-driving autonomous vehicle. We have primarily worked with chat bot versions of generative AI in which we enter a prompt, the program does some research and responds via text, image, video or audio. That has been effective for single-instance transactional engagement. Yet, we have not been able to automatically create and complete a complex list of tasks on the computer that are dependent upon reasoning and prior actions. 

https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/blogs/online-trending-now/2024/11/06/here-come-ai-agents

OpenAI reportedly plans to release its Orion AI model by December - Maxwell Zeff, Tech Crunch

OpenAI is reportedly planning to release its next frontier AI model, codenamed Orion inside the company, by December of this year, The Verge reported on Thursday. Unlike previous releases, the company reportedly plans to release the model gradually to trusted partners before a broader rollout through ChatGPT. The Verge writes that Microsoft engineers expect to receive access to Orion as early as November, although it’s unclear what OpenAI will ultimately call the model. The o1 series of models was codenamed “strawberry” inside OpenAI for months before it was released.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/24/openai-reportedly-plans-to-release-its-orion-ai-model-by-december/

The AI Paradox: Why Automation Will Fuel a Creative Revolution - Alina Okun, Future Skill

AI isn't replacing human workers. It's opening up a new frontier for them. As routine tasks get automated, we have more freedom to focus on the uniquely human skills that machines can’t replicate: Creativity, Critical thinking, and Innovation. This is what I call the AI Paradox: the more tasks AI takes over, the more space we have to lean into the things that machines simply can’t do. Let’s explore how this shift is evolving and why creativity is quickly becoming the most valuable skill in the workplace.

https://www.futureskillpro.com/p/the-ai-paradox-why-automation-will