Managers in research organisations are unsure of the potential of generative AI tools according to a study by Cooperative Research Australia (CRA) – but educators are seeing significant opportunity for change.
The study found that “while specialist academics have expertise in AI implementation, research institutions are slowly beginning to disseminate their expertise more widely across their organisations. As a result, many staff are awaiting guidance through policy or regulatory directives.”
In its’ submission to the House of Representative committee inquiry into AI in education, CRA accordingly recommends government provide education institutions with, “clear guidelines and policy intentions” including on ethics, privacy, training and support, “so they can explore their options with more confidence.”
In a separate submission to the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, CRA similarly sees a role for government, proposing “a platform” for scientists to address AI in research.
“Without a comprehensive framework, there is a risk of uncertainty, inconsistency, and potential misuse of AI in scientific research, compromising integrity and progress,” CRA warns.
The Association suggests that adaption to and adoption of “the virtual classroom” in Australian education provides a parallel to addressing AI – and overall points to positives in the former for the latter.
The submission from Darcy W E Allen and RMIT colleagues researching AI and blockchains also points to potential positives – and enthusiastically embraces the unknown.
“We simply do not yet know how generative AI will be used in a sustainable and value-generating way. The viability of various uses, including their costs, will emerge through a process of experimental trial and error. This process is fundamentally entrepreneurial — we are discovering valuable uses under uncertainty. There is no other way but to experiment.”
Despite unknowns, they are confident enough to identify positives in learning and teaching and research before suggesting AI will do more to the whole than parts.
“We anticipate the nature of university education to fundamentally shift,” in part because of a “massive lowering of the cost of producing traditionally written content,” they suggest.
“Much of this will involve students moving up a level of abstraction in their learning, and a further move towards applying first-principles learning to novel scenarios. Education will shift from written assessments to oral examinations, interpersonal skills, pitch decks, and so on, much more aligned with the work tasks knowledge workers and professionals will be expected to be doing.”
