As debate rages over the possibilities and risks to higher education of artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, evaluators are also asking what role AI and machine learning can play in their field. Speaking at a virtual symposium hosted by the Centre for Research Evaluation at the University of Mississippi in the United States on March 24, independent evaluation consultant Silva Ferretti described ChatGPT as the perfect bureaucrat: pedantic and by the book. The symposium was titled "Are We at a Fork in the Road?" and explored implications and opportunities for AI in evaluation. It was hosted by Dr. Sarah Mason of the University of Mississippi and Dr. Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead of the University of Connecticut, co-editors of New Directions for Evaluation, a publication of the American Evaluation Association. They said that disciplines around the world were grappling with the question of whether ChatGPT heralded a fork in the road with respect to powerful new generative AI. "This potential fork emerges because generative AI is distinct from earlier AI models in that it can create entirely new content."

Young scientists want machine learning revolution in Africa Kudzai Mashininga 29 September 2022 Cameroon national Loic Elnathan Tiokou Fangang concluded his masters degree in mathematical sciences at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) earlier in 2022 and, as he awaits an opportunity to pursue a PhD in machine learning, he believes the dream of the institute's founders – of producing the next Einstein – has already been accomplished. AIMS is a network of six centres of excellence, which are based in South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon, Tanzania and Rwanda. Students who join the institute get to work on driving the continent's STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) agenda. The founder of AIMS, South African physicist Neil Turok, in 2008 gave a speech in which he declared his wish that the next Einstein would be from Africa. In an interview with University World News, Fangang said that, each year, AIMS is producing African Einsteins as it invests in its students – and not just by equipping them with mathematical skills.

EU presidency extends access to free AI course across EU Jan Petter Myklebust 13 December 2019 European Union employment ministers have endorsed a proposal from Finland's Presidency of the Council of the EU to provide European citizens with free access to a successful online course on basic artificial intelligence (AI), developed and run by the University of Helsinki in partnership with private firm Reaktor. To achieve this, the course on "Elements of AI" will be made available in all official EU languages. The Finnish government will fund the project with €1.7 million (US$1.9 million) from Finland's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment as part of the EU Council presidency's effort to democratise awareness of AI and develop people's skills for jobs of the future. At the launch of the initiative in Brussels on 10 December, Finland's Minister of Employment Timo Harakka said: "Our investment has three goals: we want to equip EU citizens with digital skills for the future; we wish to increase practical understanding of what artificial intelligence is; and by doing so, we want to give a boost to the digital leadership of Europe." "As our presidency ends, we want to offer something concrete. It's about one of the most pressing challenges facing Europe and Finland today: how to develop our digital literacy," Harakka said.

The use of facial recognition software is growing in China--s universities, ostensibly to improve security, but concerns are growing that it is used for monitoring students -- including foreing students -- and teachers, creating massive data bases on student attendance and movements around campus. Peking University in Beijing now screens students entering the university--s south-western gate by using a camera to scan their faces in a trial that began at the end of June to see if the technology can replace the use of university identity cards. The system scans through a database of thousands of photographs taken for student and staff identity cards, using a powerful system to match the photograph against a database of thousands of others. Facial recognition devices have already been installed outside the university--s libraries, classrooms, student accommodation, sports facilities and computer centres, but these match a face to an existing photograph of that person on the database rather than sifting through the entire database. Photographs can be retaken in the guard room at the gates if the photos do not quite match, according to the university--s social media account on Sina Weibo, though it does not say what the failure rate is -- in particular for foreign students.

Universities in China and elsewhere in Asia are belatedly joining global alliances to promote ethical practices in artificial intelligence or AI, which were previously being studied in university research centres in a fragmented way. Countries like South Korea, Japan, China and Singapore are making huge investments in AI research and development, including the AI interface with robotics and are in some areas rapidly narrowing the gap with the United States. But crucially there are still no international guidelines and standards in place for ethical research, design and use of AI and automated systems. China's universities in particular are turning out a large number of researchers specialising in AI. Whereas in the past they would head for Silicon Valley in the US, many are now opting to stay in the country to work for home-grown technology giants such as Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu – companies which gather and use huge amounts of consumer data with few legal limits.

Amazon.com Inc has launched a new programme to help students build capabilities into its voice-controlled assistant Alexa, the latest move by a technology firm to nurture ideas and talent in artificial intelligence research, writes Jeffrey Dastin for Reuters. The e-commerce company said it is paying for a year-long doctoral fellowship at four universities for an undisclosed sum. Working with professors, the Alexa Fund Fellows will help students tackle complex technology problems in class on Alexa, like how to convert text to speech or process conversation. Amazon, Alphabet Inc's Google and others are locked in a race to develop and monetise artificial intelligence. Unlike some rivals, Amazon has made it easy for third-party developers to create skills for Alexa so it can get better faster a tactic it now is extending to the classroom.