Lumen Wirltuti:Warltati 2025 - Flipbook - Page 17
this – with many studies focussing on the ability to write well being
impacted by large language models. As yet, there is not enough
evidence to suggest that these skills are likely to decline, and
there is complexity in designing studies with appropriate ‘control’
conditions to determine the impact of the use of technology on
cognition. Much of the expertise of individuals in highly specialised
fields relies upon adequate memorisation of information – and the
effective and creative use of this knowledge for solving problems. In
this regard it is possible that the way that we develop this expertise
will be enhanced by our use of technology. However, we need to be
sure that this does not remove our agency and rights as humans.
Cognitive decline
Your thoughts: “My concern currently is in regard to
technology increasingly handling many cognitive tasks.
I am concerned about people’s ability to think critically, solve
problems, or even remember basic information without relying
on digital devices. This cognitive decline could have lasting
effects on intellectual development and society’s ability to think
independently, especially with the latest generation.”
Despina Koutlakis
Professor Carolyn Semmler, University of Adelaide.
Article created by Isaac Freeman, Communications Officer for the
University of Adelaide. Main image created by Lachlan Wallace,
Communications Officer for the University of Adelaide and Isaac
Freeman using ChatGPT and Photoshop. Additional image sourced
from iStock.
This is a totally valid concern and an active area of research in
cognitive psychology. The ‘cognitive atrophy’ hypothesis is the idea
that if we rely upon technology to carry out tasks that we may have
previously carried out ourselves, we will essentially lose the skills
associated with them. At the moment, the evidence is mixed on
AI and our University
By Jennie Shaw
Our staff are at the cutting edge of AI best practice. Around 230
staff participated in the recent AI Microsoft 265 Copilot trial project.
Staff, who undertook instructor-led training from Microsoft and
bespoke training from our own Information Technology and Digital
Services training team, identified use cases where they thought
Copilot could assist to improve efficiency, such as minute-taking for
meetings. We have colleagues researching student attitudes towards
AI, and we are collaborating with the University of Surrey to examine
AI tools to support learning.
Artificial intelligence is a main topic of conversation across our
University community – at our Festival of Learning and Teaching,
in our AI Community of Practice, and in our working groups
that are building Adelaide University. As the home of leading
international expertise, both through the Australian Institute for
Machine Learning (AIML) and great AI education, we’re well
placed to deal with the disruptive impacts of AI.
In our learning and teaching we are taking a future-facing
approach to AI. Our staff and students need to know how to use
AI appropriately, responsibly and ethically. The University Library
has developed the Artificial Intelligence Literacy Framework and
associated resources for students and staff to ensure responsible,
competent, critical and reflective use of AI. Library staff are
providing additional support to our research students to help
build their competencies in using AI for a range of activities
including statistical analysis and data visualisation.
We are also thinking of our future students, and so we are
developing one of our six common core programs for Adelaide
University around the responsible use of AI. In our Career Services
we are already finding that, at one end, the use of generative AI can
assist students to organise and edit their résumé documents while,
at the interview stage, employers are already seeking a base-level
knowledge of acceptable use of AI from our graduates.
Undergraduate students have access to an AI tool through our
partnership with tertiary education AI specialists Studiosity as well
as other freely available AI tools. Our role is to make sure students
know when and how they can use AI tools, and to help our students
build a range of transferable skills that can be used with a variety of
AI tools in their studies and their future workplaces.
We also provide our students with hands-on experience in
emerging technologies, including robotics, autonomous systems
and AI through our many industry stakeholders. There is a vast
array of work-integrated learning opportunities involving AI; for
example, some of our students and staff are working on aspects of
AI projects in defence, while other students are collaborating with
a Canberra-based company that is developing AI tools to support
strategic policy making.
And, as we are at the forefront of AI education and research, we are
using our expertise to help educate students and professionals across
the world. A collaboration between our Professional and Continuing
Education unit (PACE) and our School of Education has resulted
in two courses available worldwide and free on the edX platform as
AdelaideX Massive Open Online Courses (or MOOCs): ‘Ethical AI
for Students’ and ‘AI for Professionals: Ethics, Responsibility and
Best Practices.’ We would love our alumni to enrol!
Professor Jennie Shaw is the University of Adelaide’s Deputy
Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic).
AdelaideX AI courses can be found on the edX webpage and through the
University’s PACE website.
LUMEN
