Back in 1937 HG Wells, a man who knew a little of the future and the challenges it holds, warned that ‘our universities are not half-way out of the 15th century’ as he berated them for their inability to move with the times. What would he say to them now as artificial intelligence (AI) promises to revolutionise learning in ways even he didn’t foresee?
I’d like to think that one thing he wouldn’t advise was denial. Because the fact is UK universities face a choice: to either embrace AI as an integral component of academic pursuit or to risk obsolescence in a world where digital co-pilots could become as ubiquitous as textbooks.
As a seasoned academic who has witnessed the advance of AI over four decades, I believe that any reluctance to adapt to this digital dawn will only undermine institutions dedicated to intellectual and scientific discovery. AI is not a mere accessory to the academic toolkit; it represents a fundamental transformation of the educational paradigm.
