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The release of ChatGPT 3 has prompted an explosion of interest in generative AI technology, and as professors and teachers scramble to find methods of detecting student plagiarism in this strange new world, other higher education professionals are starting to wonder what this new technology might mean for their roles. While some higher education professionals are welcoming the new technology with open arms, touting the potential of generative AI to increase productivity and automate more tedious tasks, others — especially those in admissions and marketing — view the looming AI revolution with suspicion and anxiety.
What is Generative AI?
In short, generative AI is a specific type of artificial intelligence that, rather than regurgitating pre-programmed outputs based on prompts, produces new and unique outputs based on all of the inputs they’ve previously received. Generative AI is able to use deep learning technology, which mimics the way the human brain processes information and learns from experience. For example, when you ask a generative AI program like ChatGPT to write a letter to your friend, it draws upon not only its training prompts, but also the other input that it has been fed by previous efforts. It then can further tailor its response if you ask to make the output funnier or to reflect that you have known your friend for ten years. Though ChatGPT is probably the most well-known version of generative AI, this technology can be used not only to produce text, but also images, sounds, videos, and much more.
The Effect of AI on Higher Education Staff
Although AI could eventually replace some repetitive tasks, it’s unlikely that AI will be replacing staff positions for quite some time. Prospective students will still want to engage with real people during their admissions process, and copy created by AI will need a staff member to provide the initial prompt, and evaluate, edit, and revise the text generated by AI systems. Rather than replacing staff members, it’s more likely that AI will augment the work of staff members, freeing them up to focus on more complex tasks and allowing them to be more productive in their work. Gavin Newton-Tanzer, CEO of Campus XR, in his presentation, “Cutting Through the ChatGPT Hype: Perspectives on How Generative AI Will Shape Admissions and Marketing,“ stresses what an immense timesaver AI can be: “If, for example, a member of your team is spending thirty or forty percent of their time doing some of this generic content creation, you can save a massive percent of that. Maybe not all of it, but if you can free up twenty or thirty percent of someone’s time, it results in tremendous savings and efficiencies, because you can allocate that time somewhere else”. What seems certain is that generative AI will radically change the way higher education staff work, and staff members who are able to harness the power of AI will be in high demand on the job market.
How to Make AI Work for You
Dale Bertrand, Founder and CEO of Fire & Spark, in his presentation at the 2023 Carnegie Conference, “How AI Will Transform the Way Higher Ed Marketers Work,” recommends that when adopting AI, divide your work into three silos: “1. Fun, tasks that you don’t want AI to automate (things you enjoy doing), 2. Faster, tasks that you’re happy to let AI speed up or take over, and 3. Future, tasks you couldn’t do without AI.” Generative AI, Bertrand suggests, can effectively be thought of as interns: have AI help your brainstorming process by asking it to create ten different subject lines, research keywords for you, or generate a stock image for your newsletter. Admissions professionals can utilize chatbots like ChatGPT to provide prospective students with answers to common questions, and even give personalized recommendations on the best programs for their interests and goals. Similarly, in marketing or communications departments, AI can help staff more effectively target messaging and outreach efforts, and AI-powered data analysis could help institutions identify and reach out to the most promising prospective students. Copy.ai can provide rough drafts of event invitations, blog posts, and social media captions, and even has a transcription tool that records meetings, takes notes, and automatically shares the recording, transcripts, and a summary with all participants, making it easier to search conversations and keep employees in the loop. AI can also help higher education professionals to design logos, create presentations, write website code, and much more. I recommend exploring AI Encyclopedia for a list of programs (many of them free) to find tools that might be helpful to you in your current role.
As generative AI technology continues to develop, it is natural for higher education staff members to wonder what the impact of this new technology will be on their roles. However, there are reasons to be optimistic about the future of AI in higher education. As higher education institutions continue to adopt AI, it is important for staff members to approach AI with a mindset of collaboration and exploration. By understanding how to leverage AI effectively, higher education professionals can become more productive, while also providing more personalized and effective services to their students and stakeholders. With the right mindset, the future of generative AI in higher education can be one of exciting innovation and growth.
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