Issue link: http://georgiancollege.uberflip.com/i/1523627
22 GEORGIANVIEW 2024 PRINT EDITION NEW TECHNOLOGY Embracing an artificially intelligent future to generate real impact Georgian leaders share how the college is navigating a complex AI landscape to create an unrivaled student experience and help grads prepare for the future. Fear of the unknown is natural. Whether when starting a new career, travelling to a new destination or even trying to keep up with the latest technology, we tend to shy away from what we don't fully understand, especially when it's unfamiliar or less predictable. Perhaps this innate skepticism is why there's been such apprehension around the recent and rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI). From conducting research and writing copy, to generating images and videos, to even diagnosing disease and determining treatments, AI is everywhere and in everything these days. As the breadth and volume of these applications have grown exponentially over the past few years, AI is becoming an integral part of our lives and the software and services we use daily. At the same time, this novel technology has brought with it countless concerns. Privacy, fraud, deepfakes, plagiarism, misinformation, career displacement, academic integrity or even national security – AI is at the centre of a slew of ethical and moral questions for how and where it is used, garnering the attention and scrutiny of academic, legal and government bodies. As the world weighs these pros and cons though, for Georgian College and professors like Ross Bigelow, AI presents too many compelling possibilities to be ignored. "Given how it's been portrayed in the media and pop culture, it's unsurprising that AI has people a bit uneasy," shares Ross, who is Program Coordinator, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at Georgian. "But what should be exciting are the new ideas that will be born and the challenges that might be overcome by leveraging this technology, particularly by putting it in the hands of our Georgian students, faculty and staff." But first, what is AI? More than a single technology, AI is a collection of models, methods and tools that can be combined to solve problems or create more efficient and effective ways