Hi
Hope you had an excellent weekend. Things in Hanoi have largely gone back to normal after the storms and floods and the weather is turning cooler #❤️thistimeofyear
Anyway, enough weather chat – here’s a few notes from the world of AI to kickstart your week:
The Global AI Chess Game: Who’s Making the Rules? ♟️
“The technology is too important, and the stakes are too high, to rely only on market forces and a fragmented patchwork of national and multilateral action” (The UN Advisory Body on AI, 2024). The global landscape of AI governance is rapidly evolving, with various regional and international initiatives emerging to address the challenges posed by this transformative technology. The European Union has taken a lead with its comprehensive AI Act, which introduces a risk-based classification system for AI systems and establishes specific rules for general purpose AI. Meanwhile, U.S. states like California are implementing their own regulations, focusing on issues such as banning deepfakes and protecting workers from AI-related risks. These regional efforts, while significant, highlight the potential for a fragmented regulatory approach that may not adequately address the global nature of AI development and deployment.
To that end, the United Nations’ recent Governing AI for Humanity report marks a crucial step towards a unified global approach to AI governance. The UN advisory body’s seven recommendations, including establishing an international scientific panel, creating policy dialogues, and setting up a global AI fund and data framework, aim to foster international cooperation and ensure equitable AI development across nations. This global perspective is particularly important given recent developments such as the endorsement of a “blueprint for action” for responsible AI use in the military by about 60 countries, which notably did not include China. The UN’s proposals seek to bridge these divides and create a more inclusive framework for AI governance that extends beyond individual countries or regions, recognising that AI’s impacts and challenges are inherently global in nature.
AI-Powered Tutors: The Secret Weapon in Education’s Arsenal 🎓🤖
While AI is transforming various sectors, its impact on education is potentially particularly profound. A groundbreaking study from Harvard University has shown that AI-powered tutoring can significantly outperform even active learning methods in the classroom. In a randomised controlled experiment, students using an AI tutor learned more than twice as much content in less time compared to those in an active learning class. Moreover, the AI-tutored group reported higher levels of engagement and motivation, challenging the notion that AI-based learning might be less engaging than traditional methods.
As a long-time educator, I have been obsessed with the idea of adaptive personalised learning for forever – and it might just finally be here. Imagine a scenario where a student struggling with [insert problematic area from your field here] who can engage with an AI tutor at any time, receiving personalised explanations, tailored practice problems, and immediate feedback. This AI tutor could adapt its teaching style based on the student’s learning pace and preferences, ensuring a truly individualised learning experience. #gamechanger
The implications of this study are enormous and far-reaching for the future of HE. Passive lectures have long been criticised for their ineffectiveness – but then even active learning approaches can struggle to provide truly personalised instruction. With AI tutors we have the potential for 1-on-1, adaptive learning experiences that scale. Perhaps it’s time for a new model of blended learning? 🤔 One that combines AI-powered instruction with in-person activities designed to develop higher-order thinking skills 🤩
NotebookLM: Your AI Research Assistant with a Photographic Memory
So we covered Google NotebookLM’s Audio Overview/podcast feature this time last week – and if you haven’t tried it, do – it’s awesome 🤩
But it turns out there’s a lot more to this platform that just that one function. It might help to think of NotebookLM as an AI with a memory/specific focus on your work or, as one of the comments on this very helpful deepdive puts it “It’s like getting an assistant to read all those documents, and asking the person a query, instead of you reading your own materials”. The use-cases are fantastic – from research, to comparative analysis, to building out case studies and much, much more.
Now for all the excitement with this function, I’ve been interested to hear some pushback as well (including reportedly from students – h/t Jason Gulya ) and given there are reportedly 6m podcasts on Spotify alone – are we ready for the AI-generated podcast equivalent of muzak? It’s a good question but there’s huge potential here – and there are still a stack of extensions to the base idea worth exploring: maybe you want to turn the podcast into a video-based conversation? Or you might want an interactive reading companion to foster thinking and reflection as users listen? Or it turns out the best bit might be yet to come – according to the Google I/O keynote this was announced in, there is an upcoming feature where users will be able to inject themselves into the conversation – asking very specific questions of the podcasters and getting real-time responses 🤯
DIY AI: Educators Taking the Tech Bull by the Horns
Exciting to see educators experimenting with AI and creating their own edtech solutions. James Abela, for instance, recently developed a user-friendly Mindmap app using AI coding assistants. This DIY approach not only solved his immediate classroom need but also created a tool for other educators to use and build upon (including you – check out the app here). It’s a powerful reminder that with AI assistance, creating custom educational tools is increasingly within reach for all educators, regardless of their technical background.
In a broader effort, Simone Hirsch (NSW Dept of Education) is leading an initiative to create a global repository of real-world AI in education case studies. The project seeks examples from all educational levels, particularly practices that support students with barriers and improve teacher wellbeing. If you’re interested in contributing, contact Simone on this platform or at simone.hirsch@det.nsw.edu.au. These initiatives show that educators aren’t just waiting for tech solutions – they’re actively shaping the future of AI in education. 👏
Lights, Camera, AI-ction: The Future of AI-generated Video
AI video technology is evolving rapidly, with impressive new tools like Runway’s video-to-video and Kling 1.5’s motion brush pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. 😲
In education, these tools open up exciting possibilities: history faculty recreating historical scenes, biology instructors animating cellular processes, and media studies students creating compelling visual essays. These AI tools are revolutionising how we create and use visual content in learning, enhancing creativity and digital skills along the way. For a comprehensive breakdown of available AI video tools, check out Futurepedia’s excellent guide.
More a video consumer than a creator? No problem – the Runway Gen:48 competition is now in the voting phase so from now until 11.59pm ET September 24th – you can vote for up to 3 of the finalists here. Enjoy! 👀🍿
As we’ve seen, AI is reshaping HE at every level, from global policy to individual classrooms. The challenges of governance and ethical implementation are matched by the immense potential for personalised learning, innovative research tools, and creative content creation. As educators and institutions navigate this rapidly evolving landscape, it’s clear that embracing AI – thoughtfully and strategically – will be key to unlocking new possibilities in teaching, learning, and academic research. The future of HE is here, and it’s powered by AI. 🤖⚡🌏
Have a great week ahead and let us know if there’s anything we’re missing that we should add to make this more useful for i) yourself and/or ii) others. This is a fast-moving, ever-evolving space and we greatly value any and all feedback. 🙏