Londonderry played host to a gathering of leading figures in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) who came together to deliberate on the profound influence of this technology on education. The conference, hosted at Ulster University’s Magee Campus, featured enlightening presentations from distinguished entities such as Microsoft and the National Centre for AI.
Delegates at the event, organized by GenAIEdu, were treated to insightful workshops that delved into the mechanisms by which AI platforms generate educational content. Moreover, the role of AI in the higher education sector was a prominent topic of discussion throughout the conference.
This multi-day event aims to showcase various experts who will explore the vast potential of AI for individuals engaged in coding, digital design, and various industries. Distinguished speakers on the opening day included Sue Attewell, a co-leader of the National Centre for AI in tertiary education, and Dr. Cris Bloomfield, a senior industry architect at Microsoft. Attendees also had the opportunity to hear from Manjinder Kainth, co-founder and CEO of Graide, an AI-enhanced assessment and feedback platform.
Professor Colin Turner, representing Ulster University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering, and the Built Environment, emphasized that the future of AI is poised to bring both challenges and opportunities. He stated, “I think like a lot of technological changes, like for example the worldwide web, it [AI] will bring some significant changes and some of those will provide some challenges, but there will be a lot of opportunities as well.”
The summit’s overarching objective is to foster a comprehensive and honest dialogue regarding the challenges, ethical considerations, and potential benefits of AI for students and the broader industry, particularly in the north-western region.
Earlier this year, educators from both the UK’s state and private sectors expressed their astonishment at the bewildering pace of AI developments in a letter to The Times. They acknowledged AI as the “greatest threat but also potentially the greatest benefit to our students, staff, and schools.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak emphasized the need for evolving regulations to keep pace with AI’s rapid advancements.
Professor Turner stressed the importance of striking a balanced approach to AI integration, stating, “Our responsibility as a university is to ensure that our research and our curriculum at the Derry/Londonderry campus helps to prepare industry… so that it’s not a seismic shock, and we are with the front of the wave rather than pushed along at force. The important thing for us is to be quick and responsive to these changes rather than dragged along by them.”
Recently, a group representing the software industry in Northern Ireland advocated for the region to become a testing center for artificial intelligence in the UK, following an announcement by Belfast-based IT firm Kainos of a £10 million investment in the development of generative AI for its business.