Issue link: http://georgiancollege.uberflip.com/i/1523627
23 GEORGIANVIEW 2024 PRINT EDITION NEW TECHNOLOGY of completing tasks. In simpler terms, it's essentially a way for a computer to automate a task, process, or function. With this currently uncapped capability for human intelligence, reasoning, learning and decision-making, the question becomes: how can AI best and most responsibly be integrated into the Georgian experience? Yael Katz, Georgian's Vice-President Academic, says the use of AI in academia is something for which the college is already setting the pace. "As a leader in many areas of academic innovation, Georgian has long been at the forefront of AI in this space, being one of the first to adopt AI guidelines to direct our teams and practices," Yael says. "We pride ourselves on equipping learners with the skills needed to stay current, responsive and ready to learn more. With its growing prevalence, AI is an important and necessary tool for our institution to ensure students remain competitive in a constantly evolving job market." And through the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL), there are numerous ways in which the Georgian community is being exposed to and benefitting from AI. On top of a dedicated graduate certificate program in AI architecture, design and implementation, students in many disciplines are getting to be up close and personal with many applications they may encounter in their future careers. This includes using generative tools. AI is also being used to break down barriers for students with unique accessibility needs, allowing them to generate lecture or video transcripts or assisting in brainstorming exercises by providing them with strategic prompts. For faculty and staff, AI creates opportunities for new content and assessments. It also enables them to transform curriculum and evolve programs so these tools can be better accommodated and applied to students' career preparation. The CTL also regularly runs workshops to encourage AI literacy as the field evolves, to foster engagement, support and dialogue, and guide responsible use within Georgian's programs. Even with all its already proven benefits, the still-unknown potential of AI is of concern for many, particularly in the academic space. How then does Georgian plan to continue navigating its use ethically, fairly, responsibly and intentionally as it becomes more commonplace? According to Ross, it's all part of the job: "As faculty, it's our responsibility to educate our students to think critically and creatively, including with AI. We can be role models to our students on what is possible with these new tools. Still, we must constantly re-evaluate and refine our approach to meet the opportunities and challenges ahead while maintaining a uniquely human touch in everything." With Georgian continuing to position itself as a trailblazer in blending AI and education, Yael stresses always keeping a critical eye while taking advantage of the many possibilities on the horizon. "The AI story is still unfolding. It can be difficult and delicate to balance innovation with risk while upholding excellence, creativity and quality. But by working together to understand AI's evolving impact and discover how it can transform our practices, service delivery and knowledge production, Georgian can shape the future of this emerging field of influence for generations of students to come."