A leading academic and expert in artificial intelligence has warned that the technology is “de-skilling” and demotivating university students.
Professor Laurent Musellec, dean of Trinity Business School at Trinity College Dublin, said AI was meant to analyze data and enhance the curriculum, but “99.9 per cent” of students were unable to complete essays or coursework. lamented the use of chatbots.
“You literally don’t need to know anything to use this technology,” he said.
He added that generative AI, a new form of artificial intelligence that can generate new ideas from large amounts of data, is a “major threat to our ability to learn.”
The marketing and digital business professor said: “Preliminary research on AI shows that if students simply use AI to answer an instructor’s question, which they input into AI software that then returns the answer, students become less motivated. It’s about learning.
“A huge threat”
“They literally haven’t learned anything.”
Professor Muzelek added: “What’s happening with AI, especially generative AI, is that you literally don’t need to know anything to use the technology, or at least to exploit it.
“We just ask a question and some sort of algorithmic answer is spit out at us, and this poses a huge threat to our ability to learn and upskill.
“The threat is that we will lose skills.”
Professor Muzelek worries that undergraduates are starting to get sloppy as more students incorporate machine learning models such as ChatGPT into their studies.
Matt Candy, head of generative AI at IBM Consulting, argued that AI has a place in education and industry.
He said graduates with liberal arts backgrounds could become a hot commodity in the high-tech job market, adding: [work in tech]”
Candy added: “I think AI will unlock more capacity for creative thought processes, so questioning, creativity skills and innovation are going to be very important.”
“The speed at which people come up with ideas, test ideas, and build things will be greatly accelerated.”