Most of us are still worried about AI — but will corporate America listen? - Lauren Hodges, NPR

The battle for AI supremacy is on. We've been talking to robots in our homes, cars and offices for a while now — Alexa and Siri could write scathing tell-alls about most of us — but over the last few months, the stakes have skyrocketed.  Google and Microsoft are among the companies to recently announce their multibillion-dollar chatbots. It follows OpenAI's headline-grabbing ChatGPT that launched in November. These AI tools can run all sorts of tech, power search engines, and many can talk a lot like a human. But they sure don't absorb and dispense information like a human. The speed at which these chatbots can solve problems, write research papers, even make original art would put any prodigy to shame. The positive side is that it's like having a personal assistant. The possibilities are endless! The concerning side? The possibilities are ... endless.

https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-02-16/most-of-us-are-still-worried-about-ai-but-will-corporate-america-listen

Course Sharing Boosts On-Time Degree Completion - Peggy Bresnick, Fierce Education

Fewer than half of college students graduate on time and complete their four-year program and approximately one million students drop out of college each year with three quarters of these dropouts being first-generation college students. Hundreds of institutions are overcoming these challenges with course sharing, which relies on collaboration between higher education institutions to streamline course and program access and delivery. Participating schools make courses available to one another’s students for credit at their home college or university.

https://www.fierceeducation.com/student-engagement/course-sharing-boosts-time-degree-completion

Hands On With Microsoft's ChatGPT-Powered Bing: A New Kind of Search - Michael Kan, PC Magazine

Microsoft’s new AI-powered Bing might be the death of traditional search results.  On Tuesday, the company debuted the new Bing, which taps into OpenAI’s ChatGPT to reinvent how online search is done. We had a chance to try the new Bing at Microsoft’s offices in Redmond, where we asked the program to answer a variety of questions. Our main takeaway: Bing takes the search experience further by synthesizing the numerous results from a normal search engine and reproducing them in an easy-to-understand format. For example, if you wanted to create an itinerary for a trip to a foreign city or a meal plan to lose weight, you’d normally use a search engine to turn up relevant articles on the topic. Then you’d read the articles to come up with the itinerary or the meal plan. The new Bing, on the other hand, can read all the relevant articles for you and then churn out an easy-to-read, bulleted article(Opens in a new window) in seconds, all the while citing the sources. 

https://www.pcmag.com/news/hands-on-with-microsofts-chatgpt-powered-bing-a-new-kind-of-search

How ChatGPT can actually help promote equity in college admissions - Sydney Montgomery, Fast Company

Teachers need more tools, not fewer, if they are to meaningfully address the state of education for today’s youth and incremental changes to the status quo of education will not be enough, not when the pandemic has threatened to undo decades of progress on the path toward educational equity.  Can AI writing models be used to help cheat and game the system? Of course. But that doesn’t mean it will. The system has already been allowed to fail underrepresented and under-resourced students year after year without meaningful change. Enrollment of Black students has declined 60% at the top 101 public colleges in the U.S. and we know that underrepresented students were the most affected by learning loss following the pandemic.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90849465/how-chatgpt-can-actually-help-promote-equity-in-college-admissions

EDUCAUSE QuickPoll Results: Did ChatGPT Write This Report? - Nicole Muscanell and Jenay Robert, EDUCAUSE Review

These QuickPoll data reveal multiple emerging tensions and points of view. Far from arriving at a consensus, institutional stakeholders are still forming opinions about generative AI. Students have already begun to use the technology for coursework, and faculty and staff are using it for work. However, generative AI is so emergent that most institutions don't have policies on its use. Generative AI poses serious implications for ethics, equity and inclusion, accessibility, and data privacy and security, to name just a few. With such high stakes, institutional leaders are under pressure to make the right decisions, but as users quickly adopt generative AI for life and work, time is of the essence. 

https://er.educause.edu/articles/2023/2/educause-quickpoll-results-did-chatgpt-write-this-report

Five ways teachers can integrate ChatGPT into their classrooms today - Betty Chandy, U Penn GSE

ChatGPT is one of the world's most advanced machine learning and language processing models. It can read, understand in context, and respond in a human-like way. As educators, we wonder what this means for teaching and learning in the classroom.  But education is about more than just the correct answers or perfect essays. Education is acquiring knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits. It is the process that matters more than the product. Calculators did not make math redundant, and the internet did not make schools obsolete. AI will create opportunities that were unimaginable a year ago. Here are five things classroom teachers can do with ChatGPT starting today.

https://www.gse.upenn.edu/news/educators-playbook/five-ways-teachers-can-integrate-chatgpt-their-classrooms-toda

ChatGPT productivity hacks: Five ways to use chatbots to make your life easier - Sabrina Ortiz, ZD Net

ChatGPT has made headlines because of its advanced coding, writing, and chatting capabilities. The chatbot has proven itself to have a wide range of skills -- from fixing bugs to passing an MBA exam. Even if you aren't a coder looking for assistance, that doesn't mean you have to miss out on the fun.  You don't have to be a tech wiz to harness the power of ChatGPT in your everyday life. ChatGPT has applications that can improve your productivity and solve real-world problems. We rounded up some ChatGPT life hacks and put them to the test for you. 

https://www.zdnet.com/article/chatgpt-productivity-hacks-five-ways-to-use-chatbots-to-make-your-life-easier/

Online learning: Placing efficiency and quality at the AI revolution’s heart - Mark Dawe, FE Week

The development of good quality online learning is not cheap because it requires a significant investment of time, resources and expertise. To truly benefit from all online learning has to offer, we have to consider curriculum development, content creation, developing and maintaining the technologies themselves, supporting and maintaining a high-quality and accessible student experience, accessibility, quality assurance and professional development. In effect, moving into the world of online learning requires using the kinds of expertise we already have within our teams – such as subject knowledge, instructional design and communication skills – but in a totally new environment. And to that, we need to add whole new areas of professional knowledge.

https://feweek.co.uk/online-learning-placing-efficiency-and-quality-at-the-ai-revolutions-heart/

Now ChatGPT is coming to your web browser, too - Liam Tung, ZD Net

Browser maker Opera has announced plans to integrate ChatGPT-powered and Google Bard-powered features into upcoming releases of the browser.  Opera was quick to jump onto Web3 with its Opera Crypto Browser and now apparently plans to do the same with generative AI. Opera plans to roll out the generative AI features in the sidebar of the browser. It's not the first browser to add new AI features: Microsoft has also said it is adding AI to its Edge Sidebar, allowing users to ask for a summary of a company report "to get the key takeaways" for example, and then using the chat function to ask for a comparison to a competing company's financials and automatically put it in a table. 

https://www.zdnet.com/article/now-chatgpt-is-coming-to-your-web-browser-too/

This week, the National Skills Coalition released a report titled Closing the Digital Skill Divide: The Payoff for Workers, Business and the Economy in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. The report states that 92 percent of jobs now require definitely digital or likely digital skills. The report was created using empirical data from 43 million online job postings listed in 2021. Findings show that digital skills are now required in jobs across industries and at all skill levels. In addition, the report reveals a direct correlation between jobs that require digital skills and higher wages.

https://www.govtech.com/network/whats-new-in-digital-equity-92-percent-of-jobs-require-digital-skills#9229

Critical thinking is great, but in a world full of information we need to learn 'critical ignoring' - Ralph Hertwig, et al; World Economic Forum

Competition for our attention has accelerated over the past decade, which is why we need we need strategies to help us reclaim some cognitive space. Critical thinking helps us to evaluate the information we come across, but it may not be enough in a digital world that contains more information than the world’s libraries combined. This is why we also need to learn ‘critical ignoring’ – the ability to choose what to ignore and where to invest our limited attentional capacities.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/02/critical-thinking-ignoring-brain

Is a ‘DARPA for education’ finally happening? - Javaria Salman, Hechinger Report

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the Department of Education’s statistics, research and evaluation arm, received $40 million in new money for research and development, a portion of which must be used to “support a new funding opportunity for quick-turnaround, high-reward scalable solutions.” While the language may be vague, many advocates see it as a major step toward developing, for education, the federally-funded research and development capabilities that have long existed in other fields.

https://hechingerreport.org/is-a-darpa-for-education-finally-happening/

ChatGPT vs. Google Search: In Head-to-Head Battle, Which One Is Smarter? - Eric Griffith, PC Mag

Why all the hubbub? Preply(Opens in a new window), an online language learning/tutoring site, showcased exactly why in its new report on whether ChatGPT or Google is smarter. Note that it did all this research in January 2023. The field is moving fast, with announcements flying daily from the big companies. Nevertheless, the results Preply found are interesting for anyone following the space—because the clear winner is the technology that has a significant handicap. To test the two, fA three-person team looked at the results garnered from ChatGPT and Google for each question and rated those responses across a number of characteristics, including whether the answer is clear, the level of detail it contains, and whether the result is actionable. The team even checked responses for impartiality and whether the data included is up to date. (Editor Spoiler Alert: "ChatGPT won with a majority in almost every case, except for the time-fluid questions, where Google did better.")

https://www.pcmag.com/news/chatgpt-vs-google-search-in-head-to-head-battle-which-one-is-smarter

AI timelines: What do experts in artificial intelligence expect for the future? - Max Roser, Our World in Data

In recent years, several research teams contacted AI experts and asked them about their expectations for the future of machine intelligence. Such expert surveys are one of the pieces of information that we can rely on to form an idea of what the future of AI might look like. The chart shows the answers of 352 experts. This is from the most recent study by Katja Grace and her colleagues, conducted in the summer of 2022.2As highlighted in the annotations, half of the experts gave a date before 2061, and 90% gave a date within the next 100 years.

https://ourworldindata.org/ai-timelines

Innovation and Creation in Ever-Advancing Artificial Intelligence - Ray Schroeder, European Business Review

We understand that artificial intelligence (AI) resulted in the loss of many blue-collar jobs as smart robots took over the manufacturing process. However, we now know that this generation of AI will have even greater impact in truly creative fields, including art and original authorship. The impact is far-reaching and revolutionary.

https://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/innovation-and-creation-in-ever-advancing-artificial-intelligence/

ChatGPT Passed an MBA Exam. What’s Next? - Christian Terwiesch, Knowledge at Wharton

The professor fed the question to the controversial new chatbot as part of an experiment to see how the software would perform on a typical test. When prompted to explain the bottleneck process at a hypothetical iron ore factory in Latin America, ChatGPT aced it. “Wow! Not only is the answer correct, but it is also superbly explained,” Terwiesch wrote in a recent white paper about his experiment. “I don’t see any reasons to take points off from this answer: A+!”

https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/chatgpt-passed-an-mba-exam-whats-next/

Remote work means less commuting, but more time working - Liam Tung, ZD Net

Workers have more time, thanks to less traveling to work -- but how that time is spent is a big question.  Researchers behind the the National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, Time Savings When Working from Home, estimate that people who work from home use 40% of their commute-time savings on working on primary and secondary jobs. A further 34% goes to leisure, and 11% goes to caregiving. "These results suggest that much of the time savings flow back to employers, and that children and other caregiving recipients also benefit," the researchers write. 

https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/work-life/remote-work-means-less-commuting-but-more-time-working/

A Vision for Flagship Universities: Engaging Learners Beyond Traditional Scope - Seth Bodnar, Evolllution

America is reckoning with the big idea of what a college degree is supposed to offer. And that’s a healthy, necessary conversation to have. To be clear, I’m not saying it’s an easy one. But we know the days of going to college from age 18 to 22, and then working for a company for 30 years, and getting your watch and pension upon retirement. Those days are over (if they ever really existed). This country cannot rely on that now fictional story and expect our students and community to buy into it. But rather than adapting to this economic and societal change, we see many flagships still narrowly focusing on those traditional undergrad and graduate students, fighting for a larger share of a shrinking college-age demographic.

https://evolllution.com/attracting-students/marketing_branding/a-vision-for-flagship-universities-engaging-learners-beyond-traditional-scope/

UT Austin Launches $10,000 Online Master of Science in AI Degree with edX - Inside HPC

The University of Texas at Austin today announced the launch of a new online Master of Science degree in Artificial Intelligence (MSAI) in partnership with edX.  Applications for the program open in June 2023, with the first classes beginning January 2024, pending approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. “No major university has yet launched an online, scalable AI masters degree that can attract large numbers of students by giving them a flexible, accessible, and high-quality education pathway,” said Art Markman, vice provost for academic affairs at UT Austin.

https://insidehpc.com/2023/01/ut-austin-launches-10000-online-master-of-science-in-ai-degree-with-edx/

Workers want more AI to get rid of their office busywork, says Microsoft survey - Liam Tung, ZD Net

As AI assistants such as ChatGPT continue to cause a sensation, a survey by Microsoft of over 3,000 people has found that the vast majority of workers want more help from artificial intelligence to automate mundane daily tasks.   Microsoft's WorkLabs survey attempts to size up worker and employee expectations at a time of economic uncertainty, rapid technological change, and emerging expectations about hybrid work. It surveyed 2,700 workers and 1,800 business decision makers in the US, UK, and Japan.  The research found that 89% of people feel "more fulfilled" when they have access to AI tools "because they can spend time on work that truly matters."

https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/work-life/workers-want-more-ai-to-get-rid-of-their-office-busywork-says-microsoft-survey/

Employer-College Collaboration Can Help Fix Skills Shortage - Peggy Bresnick, Fierce Education

Employers complain they can’t find the right talent to fill positions, in terms of quantity, quality and diversity, so critical middle-skills positions go unfilled. At the same time, some students graduate from community colleges to discover they aren’t employable in their chosen field, or can’t find work that will earn a living wage. Employers don’t see them as ready for the workforce, according to a new report from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and Harvard Business School that highlights the imperative for new changes to the community-college-employer relationship to help fill the middle-skills talent pipeline in the U.S.

https://www.fierceeducation.com/student-engagement/employer-college-collaboration-can-help-fix-skills-shortage

If You Build It They Will Come: Engaging and Empowering Online Learners - Linda Dale Bloomberg, TC Press

As I write in my book, Designing and Delivering Effective Online Instruction: How to Engage Adult Learners, it is critically important to recognize and understand the principles of adult learning in order to provide the most optimal learning experience that will engage and motivate all learners. Research shows that in order to be successful in online classes, adult learners seek to be autonomous and self-directed.  Active learning, goal setting, and self-evaluation also describe behaviors and actions associated with learners who are self-directed. 

https://www.tcpress.com/blog/build-come-engaging-empowering-online-learners/

7 'Wicked Problems' Facing Higher Education and Solutions to Address Them in 2023 - Kate Lucariello, Campus Technology

In terms of higher education, WGU Labs believes institutions are not delivering what students need and expect from their education, and they are "seeking career-aligned credentials elsewhere with 220 million learners using Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in 2021, and non-academic providers offering 549,712 badges, course completion certificates, licenses, certifications, and apprenticeships," according to the report. WGU Labs, quoting statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics, noted that three in five students who enroll in a four-year degree spend time, accrue debt, and don't get their degree within eight years.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2023/01/23/7-wicked-problems-facing-higher-education-and-solutions-to-address-them-in-2023.aspx

Embrace the Bot: Designing Writing Assignments in the Face of AI - Eric Prochaska, Faculty Focus

In November 2022, a tool called ChatGPT made headlines for its ability to “write” any content. As an instructional designer, I immediately heard from worried faculty that the sky may be falling, wondering what chance they had in the face of robots that could write student papers.  After some reflection, I have come to believe that, in the long run, worrying about how students might use AI to cheat is not the most productive question to focus on. The better question is, even in the era of AI, how can we best teach our students? Below are three methods of designing writing assignments in the face of an AI incursion.

https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/course-design-ideas/embrace-the-bot-designing-writing-assignments-in-the-face-of-ai/

3 Foundational Models Shaping Higher Ed IT - Amy McIntosh, EdTech

Every year, EDUCAUSE releases its list of top 10 IT issues for the coming year, giving higher education IT leaders an idea of the trends they can expect to see in learning, administration, workforce and emerging technology. Susan Grajek, vice president of partnerships, communities and research at EDUCAUSE, presented the most recent list at the organization’s annual conference in Denver. “I think the most important takeaway is that it’ll be up to higher ed IT leaders to adapt these foundational models to their institutions, culture, leadership, financials and size,” Grajek tells EdTech. “But the three basic foundations involving leadership, data, and working and learning, really will apply to every institution in one form or another.”

https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2023/01/3-foundational-models-shaping-higher-ed-it

Is College Meaningless If It Doesn’t Lead To a Career? - Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

The value of education is a monetary as well as a philosophical topic. Minors are required by law to attend school until they reach the age of 16 or 18, depending on where they live. So, theoretically, after a learner graduates from high school, the academic requirement ends. Education is never squandered. Any opportunity to learn and improve should be celebrated and taken advantage of. Working independently, responsibly, and collaboratively is a lifelong skill. Being able to admire others for how they live or work is a skill that everyone should acquire. Perhaps the true worth of education is not in the job earned, but in the person that emerges.

https://www.thetechedvocate.org/is-college-meaningless-if-it-doesnt-lead-to-a-career/

How Leaders and Their Teams Flourish Through Continuing Education - Robert Finlay, Entrepreneur

After likely spending years in college and excitedly anticipating a professional life, it's easy to be sympathetic to an entrepreneur's hesitancy about returning to the classroom. But being excellence-and stability-driven, like it or not, also means nurturing knowledge and skills as leaders, as well as those of staff members. Put simply, at some point, to keep careers, businesses and overall satisfaction growing, it's occasionally necessary to plunge back into the scholastic pool.Significant payoffs of ongoing learning include value creation, career satisfaction and engagement, as well as closing collegiate skill gaps and reducing churn.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/how-leaders-and-their-teams-flourish-through-continuing/439342

3 ways to manage cyber insurance - Josh McDonough, eCampusNews

For a service designed to give consumers peace of mind, cyber insurance has become a convoluted and contentious subject. The skyrocketing rates of cyber-attacks necessitate a parallel increase in cyber insurance costs. Paradoxically, this trend is forcing many higher education institutions to abandon their insurance plans just when they need coverage most. 

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2023/01/13/3-ways-to-manage-cyber-insurance/