Artificial Intelligence (AI) represents a great challenge for educators and students. Since the launch of ChatGPT, academics from different parts of the world have published their research analyzing challenges and opportunities offered by this tool in the education sector. In this way, the analytical capacity that characterizes academics translates into an open debate that results in 18,600 results in Google Scholar with the keyword search criteria: artificial intelligence, higher education, innovation, sustainability, learning.
One of the contributions to this debate is offered by authors Pradana, M., Elisa, H. P., & Syarifuddin, S. (2023) in the article Discussing ChatGPT in education: A literature review and bibliometric analysis. Cogent Education, 10(2), 2243134. In their research, they point out that the challenge today is to find a balance between using AI to improve education and maintaining the human touch and interpersonal communication, so relevant in knowledge transfer.
In this way, learning outcomes can be improved with the use of technology, according to these authors, also considering ethical and legal aspects in its use. Thus, technology is a tool that contributes to generating knowledge and reflection, but limits must be established by educational institutions (rules of conduct in the classroom, instructions in teaching guides, anti-plagiarism programs, etc.).
Technologies applied to education cannot replace creativity and innovation in the classroom. Technologies can sometimes provide insights into social phenomena with immediacy, but this is not learning for students. Informed analysis is the unique mark of student learning.
In my teaching experience, having a direct and real knowledge of the students, through their behavior, interaction and participation in the classroom, makes their written work more recognizable in their way of explaining and analyzing the topics discussed in the classroom. In other words, if the students are absent, they can hardly surprise in their written documents. This coherence is easily detectable by the teaching staff and, in this way, the classroom becomes a laboratory for generating ideas and a space for experimentation and human interaction.
In recent conversations with teachers and researchers, I have seen their enthusiasm for AI responses to test questions about its interaction possibilities. I have also learned of some resistance from other educators to identifying its usefulness. Meanwhile, AI is evolving rapidly and can generate great value to education, considering the potential of technological tools to generate new spaces for educational innovation. For this, establishing instructions is a necessary task for an adequate use, from a pedagogical perspective.
In my teaching and research activity in the field of Social Responsibility, Sustainability and Communication, I am aware of the need to explore different educational methods to reinforce students' competences. In that sense, AI opens a learning space that has great possibilities in knowledge transfer. To this end, the use of data can encourage curiosity to learn and cultivate the art of experiencing different scenarios to social and environmental challenges.
An example of this can be seen in the use of AI by organizations to analyze the impact of policies to promote gender equality in their workforce. Analyzing cases through data makes it possible to generate discussion, propose different solutions and generate a critical spirit in students, while facilitating their interaction and participation. In turn, AI allows environmental challenges to be posed based on data on rising temperatures to project climate forecasts in different areas of the planet or to facilitate the prevention of new natural catastrophes. In addition, AI can contribute to explain, through different theoretical models, the consequences of climate change by geographical areas, migratory crises, water shortage forecasts in different regions of the planet, etc. All this to analyze the impact of global warming and its future consequences.
Together, research and teaching at the university level in the field of Sustainability, aims to generate theoretical and applied knowledge to global challenges. AI can offer new perspectives to the challenge of achieving equality, respect for human rights, inclusion of different groups, etc. All these remain reasons to continue exploring potential responsible, sustainable and ethical solutions. With the support of AI, data will provide even more value to science and knowledge by generating in students wonder and motivation to offer their contributions to present challenges.
Finally, data, creativity, innovation and the humanization of education are ingredients that converge in a new space where an infinite number of learning paths are opening up to be explored in the classroom and that will undoubtedly have an impact on society. In this process, it is crucial to establish the rules of a new scenario that has risks, but that can generate global solutions for the planet and society.
Belén López, ESIC University
Belén López holds a PhD in Communication from the University of the Basque Country.
Currently, she is a Full Professor at ESIC University, a researcher associated with the Permanent Research Unit at ESIC and has 2 sexenios of research. She is also Director of CSR at ESIC.
Research areas: Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, Corporate Communication, Higher Education. He publishes articles in high impact scientific journals and book chapters in international publishers and regularly attends international academic conferences.
She is associated with the Academy of International Business (AiB). She is a researcher in the Brand Management and Integrated Communication group at the Complutense University of Madrid.
