Categories: EDUCATION

Digital Nexus in Higher Education: AI Impact

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In recent years, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have led to the development of sophisticated tools that students might misuse to cheat on assignments, exams, or other academic assessments. These generative AI (GenAI) tools can range from plagiarism detection software to automated essay generators or even chatbots designed to provide answers during exams.

The connection between faculty concerns about students using these AI tools to cheat and the content of “Digital Nexus in Higher Education” is rooted in how educational technology is changing and its effect on academic honesty and integrity.

To understand these concerns fully, it’s essential to know what AI truly is — and what it is not.

Defining AI

Artificial Intelligence is a system that can be defined based on what it does for us. However, the basic definition and understanding of artificial intelligence is defined as computers that can mimic human intelligence.

What AI is not

Artificial Intelligence is not a human person. Therefore, there are some things it cannot do.

Critical thinking

AI is not self-aware and therefore cannot engage in critical thinking in the way humans do. Though, it can assist with tasks that involve logical reasoning, analysis, and providing information on a wide range of topics. It is not using human self-awareness to reason.

Generating all information from the internet

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, do not generate or pull information from the internet like the google search bar. Its responses are generated based on patterns learned during training on diverse data. AI does not have the ability to have personal opinions or beliefs. However, if you have a question, it can answer it for you based on the data it was trained it with.
Limitations in AI highlight the distinctions between AI and human thinking, emphasizing the uniqueness and complexity of human cognition. While AI continues to advance, it is essential to recognize its current constraints in replicating certain aspects of human thought.

AI constraints

Genuine understanding of context:

AI lacks true comprehension and understanding of context in the way humans do. While AI can analyze patterns and make predictions based on data, it often struggles to grasp the nuanced and complex contextual information that humans effortlessly understand.

Emotional intelligence:

AI lacks emotional intelligence and the ability to genuinely experience or understand human emotions. While AI can recognize and respond to certain emotional cues, it does not have authentic emotions, empathy, or an intuitive understanding of the emotional nuances that characterize human interactions.

Creativity and imagination:

While AI can generate content based on existing patterns and data, true creativity and imagination remain elusive. AI struggles to produce truly original and novel ideas, as it relies on existing information and patterns in its training data.

Common Sense and intuition:

Humans often rely on common sense and intuition to make decisions and navigate the world. AI, however, lacks an innate understanding of common sense and may make errors when faced with situations that require intuitive judgment or a deep understanding of the world’s intricacies.

Self-Awareness and consciousness:

AI lacks self-awareness and consciousness. While it can process vast amounts of information and execute tasks, it does not have subjective experience, personal identity, or the ability to reflect on its own existence. Humans possess a level of self-awareness that is currently beyond the scope of artificial intelligence.

Written by Professor Shakia Riggins, MSIT