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Despite some concerns from educators and administrators, AI is making its way into higher education. Arizona State University (ASU) recently announced a partnership with OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT and DALL-E 3, to integrate AI technology into the university’s processes.
ASU President Michael M. Crow stated that the university is optimistic about AI’s potential to enhance learning, speed up educational processes, and deepen students’ understanding of subjects. This collaboration with OpenAI is part of ASU’s commitment to responsibly advancing AI in education.
ASU plans to use OpenAI’s technology in three main areas:
1. Enhancing student success.
2. Creating new opportunities for innovative research.
3. Streamlining organizational processes.
The specifics of how ASU will implement OpenAI’s AI solutions are still being determined. The partnership will kick off with an “open challenge” in February, inviting faculty and staff to propose the best-use scenarios. ASU aims to provide “full access” to ChatGPT for Enterprise tier starting February 2024, although it’s unclear if this will be available to all students and staff.
The university also plans to develop a personalized AI tutor for various courses and study topics, focusing particularly on STEM subjects, which are crucial for many students. Additionally, ASU will utilize ChatGPT Enterprise to assist students in Freshman Composition and to create AI avatars as creative study aids.
Although ASU isn’t traditionally known for its AI or computer science programs, the university is keen on leveraging this technology to improve education across different fields. While some may find the idea of a “creative” study buddy unappealing, AI tools like ChatGPT can be useful for summarizing content and aiding in collegiate-level tasks.
The adoption of AI in education has faced challenges, especially concerns about students using AI to cheat on assignments. Some professors have accused students of using ChatGPT to write essays, although proving this has been difficult. Attempts to use AI detection software have often failed, sometimes mistakenly flagging work by non-native English speakers. Research from Stanford University suggests that ChatGPT has not significantly increased cheating in high schools. Some educational bodies, such as the New York City Department of Education, initially banned AI tools but later embraced them.
Given the growing acceptance of AI tools, now seems an opportune moment for ASU and OpenAI to announce their partnership. As more people become comfortable with AI, the collaboration reflects a shift towards viewing AI more favorably in education.
Other AI tools are also entering the education sector, like Canva’s “Classroom Magic” for K-12 educators and students. OpenAI’s move into education is partly to stay competitive and secure a user base in this market. This partnership is also beneficial for OpenAI, helping to establish it as a key technology provider across various sectors and potentially improving its public image amid ongoing criticisms.
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