Some student perspectives
In the previous step, you looked at a range of different AI tools. In this step, to complete this activity, you will hear from Janvi and Steven, students at King’s, about their experiences of using generative AI in their studies.
How do students use generative AI?
In this video, Janvi and Steven discuss how students generally have a range of opinions about AI that capture both excitement and concern. Students are often optimistic about how AI can streamline tasks and offer innovative solutions to complex problems. Many see it as a platform for positive social change.
However, they’re not ignoring the potential pitfalls. Concerns about privacy, the future of jobs and ethical issues also feature prominently in students’ discussions. The overarching sentiment is a mix of optimism and caution, advocating for transparent and ethical AI development.
As Janvi and Steven point out, there’s a notable segment of students who are particularly optimistic about AI’s transformative potential. They see it as more than just a tech trend; it’s a tool that can address global issues like climate change, healthcare disparities, and even education and poverty.
This optimism is not just based on what AI can do today, but what it could accomplish in the future: from reducing waste to opening up entirely new fields of work. Some students are also excited about how AI can enable better inclusivity and accessibility. So, their outlook is anchored in the belief that AI can create a brighter, more equitable future.
The student voice should be central to our discussions about generative AI. Are you a student? Are there opportunities for you to make your voice heard? Or, if you work with students, what channels do they have to join the conversations about the impacts of generative AI, and the other global challenges that confront us?
When you have completed this step, you will have heard two students’ perspectives on generative AI.
You will also have completed this activity, in which you explored how AI and generative AI work, and some differences between human learning and machine learning. You also considered some bigger philosophical questions about creativity and anthropomorphism, before looking at some specific generative AI tools.
Now that you have completed this activity, don’t forget to add some notes to your reflective log, which you can download from Step 1.1.
In the next activity, you will examine what generative AI currently can and can’t do and start thinking about how you might be able to use it yourself.
Join the conversation
How important is the student voice when deciding on how to tackle challenges and innovations such as generative AI? How about more broadly when thinking about how educational institutions adapt to global challenges?
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