How AI is shaping the future of higher ed (opinion)

Artificial intelligence is emerging as one of the most powerful agents of change in higher education, presenting the sector with unprecedented academic, ethical and legal challenges. Through its algorithmic ability to adapt, self-correct and learn, AI is pushing the boundaries of human intelligence, making the future of higher education inextricably intertwined with AI. To disentangle the intertwined relationship between AI and higher education, I will briefly discuss the opportunities and the challenges of AI, review some of the emerging applications of AI in higher education, and offer some recommendations for the way forward. As an umbrella term that includes machine learning, deep learning and natural language processing, AI relies on extensive computing power and massive amounts of data processed by algorithms. As it continues to seep into the fabric of our society, AI is being used to solve problems in cybersecurity, health care, agriculture, climate change, manufacturing, banking and fraud detection, among other areas.