A number of factors are converging to create a huge storm. Generative AI advances, massive federal policy shifts, broad societal and economic changes, and the demographic cliff combine to create uncertainty today and change tomorrow. The confluence of all of these disruptions in 2025 predict a challenging year ahead for higher education. Has your institution prepared for the fallout from these developments? Who is coordinating the response to these disparate trends? Are you following the trends and considering the implications for your career as well as for your department, college and university?
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Reports: Trump Picks McMahon as Education Secretary - Jessica Blake, Liam Knox and Katherine Knott, Inside Higher Ed
The former WWE executive has served on the board of Sacred Heart University since 2004 but has few other ties to higher ed. Linda McMahon, a business and wrestling executive and major Republican donor, is likely to lead the Education Department, CNN reported Tuesday evening, citing four people familiar with the matter. McMahon, a co-chair of President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team who has virtually no experience in education, served as director of the Small Business Administration in Trump’s first term. She left the administration in 2019 and went on to help create the American First Policy Institute, a pro-Trump think tank that’s been closely involved in planning for the second term. The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment about the selection.
UC faces half-billion-dollar budget shortfall and eyes tuition increase for new nonresident students - MIKHAIL ZINSHTEYN, Press Democrat
The University of California is eyeing a looming budget gap of half a billion dollars next year. To help balance the books it’s relying in part on its out-of-state undergraduates. Meanwhile, the system is pouring tens of billions of dollars into construction projects for seismic retrofitting, new classrooms and medical centers — while also acknowledging it lacks the funding to build or renovate most of what it needs. Out-of-state undergraduates at the UC are charged more than three times the total tuition in-state students are expected to pay. Now system leaders want to increase the supplemental tuition for new non-resident undergraduates by $3,402 next fall, an amount that’s $2,208 more than what the supplemental tuition would increase by under existing UC policy.
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Warren Buffett Pointed Out One Clear Sign to Spot Someone With Good Leadership Skills - Marcel Schwantes, Inc.
You’ve got to be able to communicate in life, and it’s enormously important. Schools, to some extent, under-emphasize that. If you can’t communicate and talk to other people and get across your ideas, you’re giving up your potential. Effective communication isn’t just about talking; great conversationalists listen intuitively to the other person’s story, ask questions, and search conversations for depth, meaning, and understanding. This takes the skill of being present and in the moment. This means that you don’t need to talk over others to get your point across, which works to your advantage. When you truly listen, you hear peoples’ objections, anxieties, and fears, as well as the solution to problems.
The Role of Writing in Communicative Language Teaching: An Investigation of an AI-Integrated Classroom Activity - Faculty Focus
Both teachers and students tend to resist prioritizing writing activities into language lessons. For students, writing in a foreign language can be intimidating, often because they feel they lack the necessary vocabulary or fear making mistakes that become fossilized (Kara, 2013; Shang, 2013; Tallon, 2009). For teachers, assessing and correcting writing is a time-consuming process, particularly when the focus of class time is on oral communication. These factors create a reluctance to fully integrate writing into language learning curriculums, particularly at the novice and intermediate language levels. Despite this hesitancy, writing holds a critical place in language learning.
Google’s AI ‘learning companion’ takes chatbot answers a step further - Umar Shakir, the Verge
We tested Learn About and Google Gemini with a simple prompt: “How big is the universe?” Both answered that “the observable universe” is “about 93 billion light-years in diameter.” However, while Gemini opted to show a Wikipedia-provided diagram of the universe and a two-paragraph summary with links to sources, Learn About emphasized an image from the educational site Physics Forums and added related content that was similarly focused more on learning than simply offering facts and definitions.
Monday, November 18, 2024
Can AI Agents Rescue Higher Ed From Financial Collapse? - Vinay Bhaskara, Forbes
Higher education is facing an existential crisis. With one small college closing every week and tuition costs having risen 141% at public institutions over the last two decades, American universities may be heading toward a bleak future. But a new wave of artificial intelligence technology may offer a path forward. AI agents — sophisticated software that can handle complex interactions and workflows — are emerging as a potential solution to higher education's operational challenges. Unlike generic chatbots or simple automation tools, these purpose-built AI agents can manage intricate processes, engage in natural conversations, and seamlessly integrate with existing university systems.
$1M Robot-Painted Portrait Sparks a New Era in AI Art - Douglas, the AI Newsroom
In a groundbreaking moment for both AI and art, Ai-Da, the world’s first ultra-realistic robot artist, just made history. Ai-Da’s portrait of Alan Turing sold for an astounding $1.08 million at Sotheby’s, exceeding all pre-sale estimates and marking the first-ever sale of a humanoid robot’s artwork at a major auction. This sale not only celebrates a new level of AI creativity but also raises big questions about art, ethics, and technology. Let’s dive into what this historic sale means and where the journey of AI-powered art may take us next.
OpenAI CPO Reveals: ChatGPT Turns $8,000 Legal Work into $3 (The Future is HERE!) - Julia McCoy, YouTube
OpenAI's Chief Product Officer, Kevin Wheel, recently made a significant statement at the Ray Summit 2024, revealing that their AI model, ChatGPT, can complete legal work that previously cost $8,000 for a mere $3 in API tokens. This highlights the potential of AI to drastically reduce costs and increase efficiency in various professional fields. Wheel emphasized OpenAI's commitment to making AI more accessible and affordable, driving innovation and problem-solving on a larger scale. This advancement raises important questions about the future of work and the need for adaptation in the face of rapidly evolving AI capabilities. The video emphasizes that while AI like ChatGPT is not yet ready for fully autonomous deployment, it is rapidly advancing. (summary assisted with Gemini AI)
Sunday, November 17, 2024
Why Podcasts Succeeded in Gaining Influence Where MOOCs Failed - Joy Buchanan, Economist Writing Every Day
MOOCs fell short of revolutionizing education. MOOCs struggled to retain learners because of the commitment they demanded and the structure they imposed. One thing people thought the MOOC could deliver at low cost was accountability. It turns out that traditional universities were and are still good for that. Podcasts succeeded by offering flexibility, accessibility, and a lower barrier to entry. Podcasts excel at passive learning, where listeners absorb information through storytelling, interviews, and discussions. This style appeals to a wider audience, blending education with entertainment. If someone in 2014 were told that MOOCs would not become influential on intellectual life, then a possible excuse might be that the public does not want talking or long-form content. We now know in 2024 that long-form talking content can be hugely popular, in the format of a conversational podcast.
AI That Can Invent AI Is Coming. Buckle Up. - Forbes
Leopold Aschenbrenner’s “Situational Awareness” manifesto made waves when it was published this summer. In this provocative essay, Aschenbrenner—a 22-year-old wunderkind and former OpenAI researcher—argues that artificial general intelligence will be here by 2027, that artificial intelligence will consume 20% of all U.S. electricity by 2029, and that AI will unleash untold powers of destruction that within years will reshape the world geopolitical order. Aschenbrenner’s startling thesis about exponentially accelerating AI progress rests on one core premise: that AI will soon become powerful enough to carry out AI research itself, leading to recursive self-improvement and runaway superintelligence.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/robtoews/2024/11/03/ai-that-can-invent-ai-is-coming-buckle-up/
How To Build The Future: Sam Altman predicts AGI in 2025 - Y Combinator
Altman just predicted that artificial general intelligence will be achieved in 2025, coming alongside conflicting reports of slowing progress in LLM development and scaling across the industry. It’s fair to say that few people in tech are positioned to have a bigger impact on the future than Sam Altman. As the CEO of OpenAI, Altman and his team have overseen monumental leaps forward in machine learning, generative AI and most recently LLMs that can reason at PhD levels. And this is just the beginning. In his latest essay Altman predicted that ASI (Artificial Super Intelligence) is just a few thousand days away. So how did we get to this point? In this episode of our rebooted series "How To Build The Future," YC President and CEO Garry Tan sits down with Altman to talk about the origins of OpenAI, what’s next for the company, and what advice he has for founders navigating this massive platform shift.
Saturday, November 16, 2024
5 effective strategies for maximising student engagement in online learning - India Today
Vedant Hamirwasia, Director of ODA Class, has shared how effective strategies for maximising student engagement help in online learning. Student engagement is the key to unleashing the complete potential of online learning. It can result in higher academic achievements, increased retention, and overall growth. In this evolving educational landscape, it is essential to address and understand several factors that can contribute to enhancing student engagement. Here’s how ed-tech platforms can address these challenges, maximise student engagement, and enhance learning:
The second Trump term: Higher education braces for impact - Nathan M Greenfield, University World News
‘Professors are the enemy’ – Incoming Vice-President JD Vance, quoting Richard Nixon. From likely reductions in student aid and an end to student debt forgiveness, to a possible dismantling of the United States Department of Education, cuts to research, a reintroduction of the travel ban on Muslim countries and deportation of undocumented immigrants, the re-election of former US president Donald J Trump on 5 November represents a major challenge to American higher education. “I think I’ll just be honest about it: I’m very anxious,” Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education (ACE), told the ACE dotEDU Live post-election podcast on 6 November, a few hours before Vice-President Kamala Harris conceded to Trump who will become the 47th president on 20 January 2025.
Your Next Job Interview Might Be With an AI Recruiter - Martina Bretous, HubSpot
You’re tweaking your resume a hundred times. You’ve told people “a little about yourself” more times than you’d like to. And you’ve probably gotten a few “We’ve decided to move forward to another candidate” emails. It’s the name of the game. But here’s another curveball you probably weren’t expecting: Going through an interview process with an AI-generated recruiter on the other end. Tools like Apriora and Micro1 are making it happen, with the promise of better candidates and a streamlined recruiting process.
Friday, November 15, 2024
Magentic-One: A Generalist Multi-Agent System for Solving Complex Tasks - Adam Fourney, et al; Microsoft
The future of AI is agentic. AI systems are evolving from having conversations to getting things done—this is where we expect much of AI’s value to shine. It’s the difference between generative AI recommending dinner options to agentic assistants that can autonomously place your order and arrange delivery. It’s the shift from summarizing research papers to actively searching for and organizing relevant studies in a comprehensive literature review. Modern AI agents, capable of perceiving, reasoning, and acting on our behalf, are demonstrating remarkable performance in areas such as software engineering, data analysis, scientific research, and web navigation.
5 Bold Predictions for AI in 2025 and how we think AI will continue to transform industries - Cypher Learning
The pace of innovation is rapidly accelerating, and AI is poised to redefine how we work, learn, and connect with technology in surprising ways. From empowering new roles and fostering inclusivity, AI is on the brink of reshaping entire industries. Last year, we shared our predictions for AI in 2024 and saw them come to fruition. As the year comes to a close, we wanted to turn the page and once again share our predictions for how AI will continue to evolve in 2025. Among the predictions is #5. Personalized workplace development displaces old-school training.
The economic potential of generative AI: The next productivity frontier - McKinsey
AI has permeated our lives incrementally, through everything from the tech powering our smartphones to autonomous-driving features on cars to the tools retailers use to surprise and delight consumers. The latest generative AI applications can perform a range of routine tasks, such as the reorganization and classification of data. But it is their ability to write text, compose music, and create digital art that has garnered headlines and persuaded consumers and households to experiment on their own. As a result, a broader set of stakeholders are grappling with generative AI’s impact on business and society but without much context to help them make sense of it.
Thursday, November 14, 2024
The Future of Equitable AI in Higher Education - Misty Evans, Insight into Diversity
As AI (artificial intelligence) continues to reshape industries, Complete College America (CCA) launched its Council on Equitable AI in 2024, a significant move that addresses systemic inequities in higher education. The council’s mission is to ensure that AI technology is developed and implemented to promote inclusivity rather than amplify privilege. This initiative highlights AI’s growing role in educational settings and its potential to advance student success. The council is composed of representatives from historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-serving institutions, all institutions of higher education serving groups who have been marginalized.
How do we define quality in online learning? - Times Higher Ed
Universities are still coming to terms with hybrid approaches to learning and the rise of AI. What does this mean for how we measure the quality of learning? When universities made the sudden shift to remote learning during the pandemic, there was a concern that online tools would define student outcomes and that content would simply be uploaded remotely, leaving them to choose what they wanted to learn. The question of what constitutes quality in learning now that universities are moving into a new hybrid era of delivery was posed by Tania Aspland, emeritus professor and vice-president (academic) at Kaplan Higher Education, at the 2024 THE Campus Live ANZ event.
AI at Work Is Here. Now Comes the Hard Part - Microsoft and LinkedIn
The data is in: 2024 is the year AI at work gets real. Use of generative AI has nearly doubled in the last six months,1 with 75% of global knowledge workers using it. And employees, struggling under the pace and volume of work, are bringing their own AI to work. While leaders agree AI is a business imperative, many believe their organization lacks a plan and vision to go from individual impact to applying AI to drive the bottom line. The pressure to show immediate ROI is making leaders inert, even in the face of AI inevitability.
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