The Institute of Public Policy (IPP) of Lisbon, one of the think tanks of the PromethEUs network, has recently published its report “Generative AI and Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunities”.
With the advent of Generative AI (GenAI), many sectors of society started adopting tools such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot to maximise the benefits that arise from their use. One of the examples is higher education, where GenAI quickly demonstrated its potential to enhance learning, with tools that stem from helping students summarize materials to assisting teachers in class preparation and grading.
However, benefits do not come without potential threats. In the past years, international organisations like the European Union and the OECD tried to establish a regulatory framework which emphasises the ethical use of AI and core values such as transparency, data privacy, and maintaining human agency in education. The general idea behind the frameworks is to guard the citizens against the misuse of AI, while still trying to leverage its potential to improve education.
IPP’s report examines the impact of GenAI on three main areas: educators, students, and higher education institutions. It addresses the opportunities and risks GenAI presents, noting challenges such as plagiarism and academic integrity. Key questions are raised regarding the role of educators, the future of assessments, the introduction of AI literacy, and how to promote ethical use of AI in education.
Click here to read the report by IPP’s researchers Steffen Hoernig, Paulo Trigo Pereira, André Ilharco and Regina Pereira:
https://www.ipp-jcs.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Report-AI-in-Higher-Education-IPP-1.pdf