Source: Microsoft
There appears to be a tremendous irony in Microsoft’s press release presenting Australia’s largest high tech skilling initiative leading to … an error page.
But perhaps the cheery snap of CEO Satya Nadella grinning next to Albo on launch day was a sufficient distraction for what is a surprising and significant announcement.
Buried in the depths of the none-too-functional release is the news that the Government has given its blessing to Microsoft teaming up with Anyway (formerly Year 13) to get AI bots doing career advice for secondary students across Australia.
That’s right. Your future enrolments are going to be swayed by Microsoft and Anyway.
Is this good or bad? Is human career counselling in such a parlous state that the bots can do a better job, or is resourcing in our school system so bad we can’t afford a human to spare 15 minutes to talk about the future with our young humans? Can the bots make more sense of the hyperbole and generic course descriptions awash in institutional websites across the sector and translate it into career choices that make sense to 17 and 18 year olds? Maybe this will significantly improve guidance – and if so, will it please the student, who will finally get information relating to whatever whim is in their brain at the time, or will it be programmed to progress the Accord, by diverting 80% of students into TAFE or uni, even if they would prefer a year off or to become a hipster barista?
More urgently, institutions will be wondering what can be done to sway the bot so that it sees all your strengths (and discreetly ignores the QILT scores and grumpy staff you would normally hide away pre-Open Day)?
Will the AI bot encourage more girls to do STEM and more boys to study anything at all, so long as they choose something?
There are many questions, but little doubt that change has arrived, whether this initiative formalised it or not.
AIO – Artificial Intelligence Optimisation- is rapidly replacing SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) as AI summaries become more influential. Given the patchy implementation of AI responses in teaching and learning across the sector, it seems safe to assume that the whole-of-institution AI framework that FC began talking about two years ago is still not anywhere near reality, and AIO will not even be in the 2027 marketing budget for some institutions. This announcement might change some of that.
Microsoft is spending $25 billion on AI infrastructure, security and skills, which is a pretty big deal in anyone’s language and explains why the globe trotting CEO gets to share equal billing beside a national leader for the announcement.
This is all important stuff for the tertiary sector – it’s a significant boost to AI supercomputing capacity locally as well as datacentres to keep everyday users happy.
Which brings us to questions about the three million Australians being trained ‘with workforce-ready skills’ and not a tertiary institution in sight.
While details are sketchy, due to the missing link, it appears to comprise some help for teachers and students and a partnership with Anyway (formerly Year 13) who are creating ‘a free AI-power Career Coach for up to 1,000 Australian schools, giving students personalised guidance at the exact moment they’re making high-stakes decisions about their futures.”
This is a very interesting move. Anyone who has researched the drivers of choice of school leavers will tell you that the customer isn't always right. High quality career advice for secondary students is a combination of information and influence – guiding students towards realistic training and education pathways likely to lead to a job that the student might be able to attain and enjoy.
The impact of AI across the sector and on the roles of staff and teams is only beginning to be understood.