When strength, resilience and #BlackGirlMagic is a burden - Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune

When Lincoln University administrator Antoinette “Bonnie” Candia-Bailey took her own life last month, the news broke the internet, a family friend said in a eulogy during homegoing services in Joliet. People had a lot to say about the death of the 49-year-old Chicago native who was the Missouri school’s vice president of student affairs:  She was a conduit, a convenor and, most passionately, an advocate, said her friends, family and colleagues. The abundance of national headlines, social media posts, essays, tributes and video conferences that ensued created a torrent of emotion, ultimately shining a light on the struggles Black women bear not just in the workplace but specifically as scholars and administrators in higher education. Many Black women in leadership roles say they face bullying, racism and misogyny as they strive for success in and outside the academic community.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/02/18/when-strength-resilience-and-blackgirlmagic-is-a-burden/

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reveals insights on GPT-5, says it will be better at everything - Nandini Yadav, India Today

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has already begun discussing the next generation of ChatGPT—GPT-5—and he claims that "it's gonna be better at everything across the board." Speaking at the World Government Summit, Altman shared insights about GPT-5, stating that the new model will be "smarter," "faster," and "more multimodal." He noted that while other companies developing similar models might tout the same improvements, what truly matters is the model's increased intelligence, which is what he aimed to highlight about GPT-5. “This is a bigger deal than it sounds”, Altman said. “What makes these models so magical is that they are general. So if they are smarter, it means they are a little bit better at everything,” he added.

https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/openai-ceo-sam-altman-reveals-insights-on-gpt-5-says-it-will-be-better-at-everything-2503042-2024-02-16

Artificial superintelligence (ASI) - Nick Barney, Tech Target

 Artificial superintelligence (ASI) is a software-based system with intellectual powers beyond those of humans across a comprehensive range of categories and fields of endeavor. ASI doesn't exist yet and is a hypothetical state of AI. ASI is different from regular artificial intelligence (AI), which involves the software-based simulation of human intellectual capabilities, such as learning through the acquisition of information, reasoning and self-correction. AI is increasingly a part of our everyday lives in systems such as virtual assistants, expert systems and self-driving cars. Nevertheless, AI technology is in its early days of development. Systems vary in their abilities, but all current ones are examples of narrow AI or weak AI. They are high-functioning systems that replicate and even surpass human intelligence but only for a specific purpose.

https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/artificial-superintelligence-ASI

Google unveils Gemini 1.5, a next-gen AI model with million-token context window - Michael Nuñez, Venture Beat

The new system, detailed in a blog post by Google AI chief Demis Hassabis, incorporates significant architecture improvements that allow its core model, Gemini 1.5 Pro, to perform on par with the company’s largest Gemini 1.0 Ultra model while using less computing resources. The Gemini 1.0 Ultra model was introduced last week. However, the biggest leap comes in the form of an experimental million-token context window that Google says represents a “breakthrough in long-context understanding.” The standard Gemini model analyzes prompts within a 128,000 token context. With the million-token upgrade, Gemini 1.5 can process a vastly larger amount of continuous information before generating its response. 

https://venturebeat.com/ai/google-unveils-gemini-1-5-a-next-gen-ai-model-with-million-token-context-window/

Penn announces first AI undergrad degree in the Ivy League - Skylar Rispens, EdScoop

The University of Pennsylvania introduced a new bachelor's degree program in artificial intelligence, the first in the Ivy League, it claims. The University of Pennsylvania introduced a new bachelor’s degree program in artificial intelligence on Tuesday, making it the first of its kind among Ivy League universities. The university decided to launch the new degree due to the rapid rise of generative AI creating an “urgent need” for engineers who understand the technology and can apply those skills in a responsible and ethical way, according to a press release. “Inventive at its core, Penn excels at the cutting edge,” Penn interim President J. Larry Jameson said in the announcement.

https://edscoop.com/university-pennsylvania-first-ivy-league-ai-degree/

In the future, you might be "OpenAI-ng it" instead of "Googling it"; rumored web search product - MS Power User

According to a report citing an anonymous source, OpenAI is rumored to be developing a web search product. The details remain unclear, with the possibility of the search tool being integrated within ChatGPT or launched as a standalone product. While OpenAI, who are also hiring investigators to crack down on leakers from inside, has not officially confirmed these plans, their efforts to equip ChatGPT with web browsing capabilities suggest a move towards a knowledge-driven search approach. However, further details and confirmation are still absent.

https://mspoweruser.com/in-the-future-you-might-be-openai-ng-it-instead-of-googling-it-rumored-web-search-product/

Improving prison education programs: Experts discuss the expansion of Pell Grants for incarcerated students - Erin Castro, et al; Brookings

Expanding Pell Grant eligibility to incarcerated students will increase higher education access and reduce recidivism. Incarcerated students face substantial administrative barriers to accessing aid. Colleges and departments of corrections should invest in student support services to help students apply for aid and make informed enrollment decisions. Prison education programs should reflect the same high-impact educational practices as degree programs for non-incarcerated students, and their oversight must include student success priorities.

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/improving-prison-education-programs-experts-discuss-the-expansion-of-pell-grants-for-incarcerated-students/

Parents and Educators Are Somewhat Aware of Non-Degree Pathways for Students, But Many Want to Learn More - Arrman Kyaw, Diverse Education

Less than a third of parents surveyed (28%) said that they would be disappointed if their child did not pursue college after high school, according to a new report commissioned by American Student Assistance (ASA) and Jobs for the Future (JFF). "Beyond Degrees" focuses on investigating people’s views and ideas of non-degree pathways, defined in this context as “non-degree-bearing education-to-career options,” such as apprenticeships, bootcamps, industry certifications, certificate programs, and occupation licenses. Though some of these pathways can ultimately add up to degrees, it is not a requirement for pathways to do so.

https://www.diverseeducation.com/student-issues/article/15663650/report-parents-and-educators-are-somewhat-aware-of-nondegree-pathways-for-students-but-many-want-to-learn-more

Employees Are Incredibly Lonely. Use the 40-1-5 Method to Help Build More Connection at Work - Jessica Stillman, Inc.

Being lonely, studies shows, can actually damage your health as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. And experts insist that the growing number of Americans who report having no or very few friends is a huge contributor to our worsening mental health. Loneliness, it turns out, is a serious threat to your health. It's lousy for your business too. CEOs, surveys show, have particularly high levels of lonelienss. And things aren't much better for frontline employees. Surveys show that post pandemic, the number of people claiming to have "work friends" has dropped precipitously. 

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/employees-lonely-use-40-1-5-method-build-more-connection-work.html

How to become a better leader -McKinsey

The best leaders never stop learning. According to the authors of CEO Excellence, McKinsey’s bestselling 2022 book based on 67 interviews with the world’s highest-performing leaders, the curiosity mindset is what fuels top leaders’ ascent. “They were willing to try new things and in doing that gained experience,” says McKinsey senior partner Scott Keller. “With experience comes pattern recognition and resilience, the ability to separate yourself from individual setbacks enough to see that the far side of failure is success if you reflect on the lessons.” In this Explainers collection, we dive deep into how leaders—today’s and tomorrow’s—can jump-start their journeys of discovery.

https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/themes/how-to-become-a-better-leader

Advantages of online learning: 11 key benefits - EHL

Online learning is becoming a more mainstream approach to achieving educational and career goals. You might want to consider some of the benefits you can enjoy from taking part in online learning programs. Across the globe, around half of students have completed some type of online learning. It is the fastest-growing market in the education industry and is projected to be worth more than $370 billion by 2026. 8 in 10 businesses now offer online education and training solutions with statistics showing it improves employee performance by 15-25%. Online education can increase student and employee retention by up to 50% and can even reduce the time it takes for a person to master a subject by 40-60%. For individuals, upskilling in whatever form boosts a workers earning power. In one survey, nearly half (42%) of online learners said their courses increased their salary or bonuses by an avarage of $17,000 and $14,000 respectively.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4120354.html

Youth Mental Health in 'Dire Straits' - Megan Brooks, Medscape

More than 1 in 10 individuals between 5 and 24 years of age live with at least one diagnosable mental disorder, suggests a new report that shines a light on the global mental health crisis among young people. The burden is high in this population, with around one fifth of all disease-related disability attributable to mental disorders. The data, drawn from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, examines mental health in the 293 million people worldwide in this age group. "This concentration of disability burden at an early age raises concern about the potential lifetime impact of these conditions," wrote the authors, led by Christian Kieling, MD, PhD, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. The study was published online on January 31, 2024, in JAMA Psychiatry.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/youth-mental-health-dire-straits-2024a10002ug

Study Reveals Only 16% of Faculty Ready for GenAI in Higher Education - Johnny Jackson, Diverse Education

A new study examines potential effects of artificial intelligence on current challenges faced in higher education and notes that few are ready. The 2023-2024 Digital Learning Pulse Survey revealed that three-quarters of higher education trustees, faculty, and administrators believe GenAI will noticeably change their institutions — and help solve ongoing issues. But only 16% of faculty and 11% of administrators feel prepared for change.

https://www.diverseeducation.com/reports-data/article/15663833/study-reveals-only-16-of-faculty-is-ready-for-genai-in-higher-education

Report: Best Practices for Using, Teaching Generative AI in Research - Ashley Mowreader, Inside Higher Ed

Guidance from Cornell University identifies how artificial intelligence tools should be applied to research, with guidance on navigating the shortcomings of generative AI. Arecent report from a Cornell University task force on AI identifies a framework and perspectives on how generative AI can aid or influence academic research. The report, “Generative AI in Academic Research: Perspectives and Cultural Norms,” was published Dec. 15 and highlights best practices in the current landscape, how university policies impact the Cornell community and considerations for other faculty members or researchers navigating the new tech tools.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/academic-life/2024/02/07/best-practices-generative-ai-academic-research

Beyond the hype: New opportunities for gen AI in energy and materials - Filipe Barosa, et al; McKinsey

How closely should leaders pay attention to the hype? This isn’t the first time that technology pundits have lined up behind the latest best thing. Should gen AI be dismissed as a fad, or should leaders double down on the latest tools as the panacea for their technical troubles? The answer is likely neither. Our research shows that organizations that rely on innovation, data analysis, and process automation stand to benefit the most from gen AI. Within the agricultural, chemical, energy, and materials sectors, many companies are now moving beyond straightforward use cases and taking increasingly innovative approaches to adopting gen AI, and estimates show that an additional $390 billion to $550 billion of value can be created in the years to come.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/metals-and-mining/our-insights/beyond-the-hype-new-opportunities-for-gen-ai-in-energy-and-materials

4 AI Imperatives for Higher Education in 2024 - Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology

 How will artificial intelligence impact colleges and universities this year? We asked AI and higher education leaders for their predictions and thoughts on the most important issues to consider as the technology evolves and adoption expands. Here's what they told us. In 2024, AI in education will continue evolving with new architectures and transformer models like GPT-5 and Gemini 2 leading the way. However, the complexity of developing robust GenAI solutions might slow the adoption of open source models in ed tech.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2024/01/22/4-ai-imperatives-for-higher-education-in-2024.aspx

How do I Consider Options that May Increase the Likelihood that Students Will Follow my Generative AI Course Policy? - UMass Amherst

This flowchart is designed to assist instructors in thinking through the implications of choices they may be making about the use of generative AI tools in their courses. It offers a step-by-step approach to guide instructors through key decision-making points that may help them weigh various options for themselves and their students, raises questions related to the choices being considered, and provide links to resources to support them in making thoughtful and informed choices. As you think about your generative AI course policy, you may find it useful to go through this flowchart as an iterative process: starting with what you think your course policy might be, working through the decision points, and reworking your policy accordingly. [thanks to Barbara Anna Zielonka who brought this to my attention]

https://www.umass.edu/ctl/how-do-i-consider-options-may-increase-likelihood-students-will-follow-my-generative-ai-course

Most students in UK use AI for studies, digital divide emerges – Survey - Karen MacGregor, World University News

Generative AI has become normalised in British universities, with most students using an AI tool to support studying and only 5% likely using AI to cheat, a first national survey of students and AI since the advent of ChatGPT has revealed. But urgent action is needed to stop a new digital divide emerging, and students want clear AI policies and support. Among students surveyed, 53% have used generative AI to help with their studies. The most common use is as an ‘AI private tutor’, with 36% using AI to help explain concepts.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20240202105653757

ChatGPT Now Allows Users to Bring Multiple AIs Into Conversations - Ben Sherry, Inc.com

Artificial intelligence company OpenAI rolled out a new feature for ChatGPT this week that allows ChatGPT Plus users to add multiple GPT chatbots into existing conversations. This means that it's now possible to have your custom chatbots talk to each other. The feature could help users boost creativity and make better decisions. If you're chatting with a GPT designed to act as your virtual chief marketing officer, for example, you can "invoke" another GPT designed to serve as your chief operations officer, and have a virtual C-suite meeting. The GPTs can also come from OpenAI's GPT Store. Newly-added GPTs will be updated with all the context of your existing conversation. [ed note from Ray: This is husge! With a network of GPTs, you would have a creative, management or production team.  Imagine]

https://www.inc.com/ben-sherry/chatgpt-now-allows-users-to-bring-multiple-ais-into-conversationshow-to-turn-chatgpts-new-feature-to-boost-creativity-at-work.html

Survey: How AI Is Impacting Students’ Career Choices - Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Ed

A new flash survey of 1,250 students across 49 four- and two-year colleges from Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse’s Student Voice series finds students are motivated to learn about AI in their careers. Asked how much the rise of artificial intelligence has influenced what they’re studying or plan to study in college, 14 percent of students over all say it’s influenced them a lot. An additional 34 percent say it’s influenced them somewhat. By year, the Class of 2024 is least influenced in this way, with just 35 percent of students saying AI has affected what they’re studying or plan to study, either a lot or somewhat. The Classes of 2025 and 2026 are incrementally more influenced, while the majority of the Class of 2027 (64 percent) says AI has at least somewhat impacted their academic plans. 

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/life-after-college/2024/01/10/survey-college-students-thoughts-ai-and-careers

The New Future of Work - Microsoft

AI models, and specifically foundation models, have reached a watershed in power and maturity. The pandemic significantly accelerated the digital transformation and the pace at which work-related data is generated. Combined with the significant advances in AI and AI machinery, technology has an unprecedented opportunity to transform the way people work. Given the enormous potential of new AI systems, commonly referred to as generative AI, we must work together to ensure the technology is deployed in a privacy-preserving, responsible, and equitable way. This site features research from the initiative that has been published in peer-reviewed scientific venues, as well as resources to help you navigate a rapidly changing work environment and thrive in the age of AI. We recently published our 2023 Report(opens in new tab) that summarizes some of the exciting work in this space.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/the-new-future-of-work/ 

A Generative AI Primer - Brian Basgen, EDUCAUSE Review

Understanding the current state of technology requires understanding its origins. This reading list provides sources relevant to the form of generative AI that led to natural language processing (NLP) models such as ChatGPT.  With the state of AI science changing quickly, we should first take a breath and establish proper footings. To help, this article provides a reading list relevant to the form of generative AI that led to natural language processing (NLP) models such as ChatGPT.

https://er.educause.edu/articles/2023/8/a-generative-ai-primer

What AI means for higher education teaching: hype vs reality - Nicolaas Matthijs, University World News

Finally, as higher education embraces the transformative power of AI, educators stand at the forefront of this revolution. By embracing AI as a collaborative tool, leveraging its capabilities for creative idea generation, and utilising contextual insights, educators can enhance and accelerate the learning experience for their students. Educators play a crucial role in shaping the ethical considerations and digital literacy skills necessary for a future where AI is seamlessly integrated into education. Together, educators and AI will pioneer a new era of learning. The higher education community, including technology vendors, must consider carefully where and how to apply generative AI with the aim of solving real problems with high impact while minimising the risk as much as possible.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20240123095419557

Do You Still Believe These 19 Ridiculous Tech Myths? - Eric Griffith, PC Magazine

There’s plenty of fake tech news floating around; each new generation of technology products and services begets even more false beliefs. A lot of those are pretty easy to discredit, but we found a few for this story that might make even our readers do a double-take! It’s possible you’re worried about something that isn’t true—or maybe something that used to be true but isn’t now, as new discoveries and updates cleared up the problem. Go through our list below, and then pass on the real deal to your friends, family, and social following, so they won’t fall prey to tech disinformation.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/ridiculous-tech-myths

Embracing The Future With Quantum Computing In Higher Education - Nuno Fernandes, Forbes

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, a seismic revolution is on the horizon, one that promises to eclipse the impact of all previous technological revolutions combined. This revolution is poised to transform virtually every aspect of our lives. At the heart of this revolution lies quantum computing, a technology that harnesses the mind-boggling principles of quantum mechanics to perform computations that are far beyond the grasp of normal computers. Reliant on transistors processing binary code, conventional computers will give way to quantum computers that solve some complex problems much faster than even powerful supercomputers.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2024/01/25/embracing-the-future-with-quantum-computing-in-higher-education/?sh=4bbd72b68049

Google Showcases New Generative AI Education Tools - ERIC HAL SCHWARTZ, Voicebot

Google unveiled dozens of new educational technology features this week at the Bett edtech exhibition, including several AI-fueled tools to assist teachers with their work. The tech giant’s presentations also highlighted how its existing generative AI products can be tailored to educational settings and lesson preparation. One of Google’s central pitches for educators is the value of Duet AI, a generative AI assistant powered by Google’s Gemini large language model (LLM). Duet provides natural language assistance to automate tasks, generate content, answer questions, and recommend actions.

https://voicebot.ai/2024/01/24/google-showcases-new-generative-ai-education-tools/

These are the best flexible jobs with good salaries in America right now. Most aren’t in tech - Michael Grothaus, Fast Company

Indeed partly selected the jobs based on a salary minimum above the national average in America and jobs for which at least 10% of the listings included flexible terms like “remote” or “hybrid” work. The jobs platform also took into account opportunity growth of the job and availability of the jobs in consideration.

Mental health technician: $77,448 

Loan officer: $192,339 

Mental health therapist: $76,140 

Electrical engineer: $102,590 

Construction project manager: $103,431 

Mechanical engineer: $96,091 

Psychiatrist: $258,440 

Human resources manager: $79,174 

Senior accountant: $82,811 

Data engineer: $130,135 

https://www.fastcompany.com/91016143/best-jobs-2024-good-salaries-flexible-wfh-indeed-list

Loneliness and suicide mitigation for students using GPT3-enabled chatbots Bethanie Maples, Merve Cerit, Aditya Vishwanath and Roy Pea - Nature

Mental health is a crisis for learners globally, and digital support is increasingly seen as a critical resource. Concurrently, Intelligent Social Agents receive exponentially more engagement than other conversational systems, but their use in digital therapy provision is nascent. A survey of 1006 student users of the Intelligent Social Agent, Replika, investigated participants’ loneliness, perceived social support, use patterns, and beliefs about Replika. We found participants were more lonely than typical student populations but still perceived high social support. Many used Replika in multiple, overlapping ways—as a friend, a therapist, and an intellectual mirror. Many also held overlapping and often conflicting beliefs about Replika—calling it a machine, an intelligence, and a human.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s44184-023-00047-6.epdf