Abstract:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a hot topic in education. Many are surprised, many are excited, some are unimpressed, some are anxious, and others are terrified... You no longer need to be a computer scientist to use large language models (e.g., Chat GPT and other tools) to generate an output. This paper lays a foundation for non-expert AI users and covers the conceptual description of AI, its history in other fields, its transitioning into education, societal factors and government regulations affecting AI adoption in various countries, and global trends and issues around AI. The results of the environmental scan of available AI tools to generate text, images, and sound are included. Of particular interest are additional aspects related to AI benefits and potential (personalized learning tools, intelligent tutoring systems, assessment and evaluation, research aids, learning analytics, automation of administrative tasks, etc.) and concerns (plagiarism, controversial data collection practices, the accuracy of outputs, quality assurance, ethics, equity, access, bias, etc). These resources are collected, categorized, and made available to the audience at https://www.diigo.com/outliner/mu3lx3/AI_HigherEducation?key=aaxpjzujvl. The paper addresses current and probable changes in and implications for how higher education organizations address their primary functions of teaching, research, and service. The work provides an overview and international examples of existing university regulations, policies, systems, and strategies to serve as a foundation for informed decision-making related to AI usage, managing associated risks, creating opportunities, increasing AI literacy, and setting expectations for students, staff, and faculty.

Keywords:

AI, Artificial Intelligence, higher education, policies, AI literacy.