Technology and new media

Some academics put off from using AI because of ‘lack of guidance’ on how to use technology ‘ethically and transparently’

Newcastle vice-chancellor says shared approach needed to prevent ‘bad practices’

Essay mills pivoting to offering low-cost services to avoid plagiarism checks

If AI is to transform education, assessment must be rebooted and developers must make leaps in understanding the learning process, experts say. Rosa Ellis reports

Allowing Big Tech to train AIs on academic output will only exacerbate the threat posed to teaching and research, says Martyn Hammersley

Outgoing Erasmus University Rotterdam president discusses the underappreciated value of the social sciences, managing student protests and the differences between Dutch and German higher education

Chris Rock’s joke about US gun control exemplifies a cognitive sophistication that machines will struggle to match, say Akhil Bhardwaj and Anastasia Sergeeva

Tightening of rules may be weakening the quality of eligible candidates for conversion courses, report says

Google, LinkedIn and X warned that adverts for contract cheating services have ‘proliferated’ despite legislative bans

Embedding digital competency into hiring and advancement decisions would help to foster innovation, report says

Only half of US faculty members surveyed believe AI will enhance the student experience, as many report being left out of decisions on how technology is used

As tech giants spend staggering sums on artificial intelligence, the head of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council explains why it’s vital for academia to engage in this ‘hot’ area of research

Many scholars loathe generative AI but it has immense power to engage the intellectual curiosity of students as long as academics truly embrace it, argues John Kaag

Higher education staff missing opportunity to use generative AI tools to relieve them from routine tasks, Australian survey finds

Report stresses AI is ‘new standard’ and universities need to better communicate policies

Researchers claim that Taylor & Francis kept details of deal quiet, but company insists that citation and limits on verbatim quoting will be sacrosanct

Instead of viewing GenAI only as a threat, we should embrace it as an opportunity to reform our outdated approaches, says Dorottya Sallai

Computer systems, library resources and payments disrupted by defective Crowdstrike software update

Changing student expectations and labour market challenges also drive shift towards interdisciplinary programmes

New technology that allows AI avatars to deliver lectures could be used to ‘democratise’ access to higher education, says professor

UCLA lecturer says ban necessary due to fears that those discussing contentious issues may face repercussions

Academics tell Elsevier that they recognise the potential of generative AI but want to see their concerns addressed

Hacking group claims to have published stolen data online

Nobel laureate says discussing vapid AI answers can help students understand true scientific rigour

University of Glasgow philosophers behind viral ‘ChatGPT is bullshit’ paper claim student AI use is linked to dubious techno optimism of billionaire Silicon Valley moguls

Generative AI is ‘a bit like teenage snogging – everyone’s doing it although no one really knows how’

ChatGPT scores half a grade higher than psychology undergraduates in experiment at University of Reading

With more countries keen to capitalise on the lucrative industry, policymakers and companies are leaning on universities to address talent deficits

Software that can record and transcribe class talks and discussions is becoming increasingly common, but some fear it could prove detrimental to long-term learning

‘It’s not a machine for cheating; it’s a machine for producing crap,’ says one professor infuriated by rise of bland scripts

Departments can no longer be singularly tied to their mathematical and engineering foundations, focused only on what can be built, says Beth Mynatt

Perhaps AI will be a useful tool. But our obsession with every shiny new object regardless of the harm it might do makes me worry, says Melinda Zook

AI model released by students sparked controversy for similarities to one developed by scientists from Tsinghua University

The president of Lingnan University on requiring students to use ChatGPT and using data to manage grumbles from staff

Poll finds most researchers are using AI but only a tiny number trust technology companies on data privacy

Energy required to run and cool supercomputers is at odds with universities’ sustainability targets, particularly in hotter parts of the world

Global survey of peer reviewers reveals deep distrust towards ChatGPT, with some calling for a complete ban on its use in research and academia

The head of Nanyang Technological University leverages the institution’s youthful vigour to put AI at the heart of learning and uses his research background to inform his leadership and help recruit potential Nobel prizewinners

The likes of Google are being undermined by both AI and their own commercial imperatives. Researchers can no longer rely on them, says Andy Farnell

Institutions must accept rules have changed in order to survive ‘disruptive innovation’ brought about by new technologies, says online learning expert

Tracking teaching, grades and research productivity with electronic systems is affecting staff independence and well-being, union-backed survey finds

Graduates who can’t think critically without electronic assistance will be at a distinct disadvantage in the workplace, says Loïc Plé 

Anglophone scepticism about the value of language study had been rising for many years before anyone had heard of Duolingo or ChatGPT. But while some academics believe technology will kill off universities’ remaining language departments, others dare to hope it will be their saviour. Patrick Jack reports

Independent review finds evidence of clear value but calls for governance and relationships to evolve, and for stronger funding settlement

US university tests use of technology in training mental health advisers, but experts foresee – and fear – wider application

Universities that only recognise academic integrity implications are ‘really missing the picture’

Effective digital learning requires more than a camera in a classroom, says Ghanaian e-learning leader Eric Appau Asante

Financial constraints reducing appetite for risky experimentation but pressures can also help to ‘clarify minds’, say experts

Institutions ‘got it wrong’ by putting all the attention on assessment when large language models first launched, say experts

Tying state-of-the-art digital research infrastructure to particular research communities should give way to more equitable landscape, conference hears

Former government adviser says a modest cut in operating costs could allow for a doubling of the number of UK academics

Artificial intelligence infrastructure currently dominated by corporations, scientific advisory group warns

Preliminary results showed students who used VR headsets reported greater improvements in how calm they felt compared with those who accessed interventions via smartphones

Proponents of new technology say it can alleviate stress on advisers and make expertise more accessible but critics say this work needs a human touch

Researchers at Paul Smith’s College designed a VR version of a local forest trail using the same graphic engine as popular video game Fortnite

AI lecturers have the potential to free up academics’ time and create more immersive learning environments, but institutions are treading cautiously when it comes to introducing the technology into classrooms

Singapore Management University provost Timothy Clark says reforms will push students away from using generative AI in admissions statements

Study finds students who rely on ChatGPT for academic tasks feel socially supported by artificial intelligence at the expense of their real-life relationships

The sudden rise of generative AI offers an opportunity for reflection and renewal of our scholarly values, say Ella McPherson and Matei Candea

Growing use of chatbots within higher education is likely to foster unoriginal and ‘solipsistic’ thought, says IE president