Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a nearly ubiquitous aspect of modern life. People interact with AI on a daily basis through autocorrect and predictive text, phone-unlocking facial recognition, the algorithms driving social media feeds and traffic predictions in navigation apps. It's already hard to imagine life without these modern conveniences. More broadly, AI is changing the job market in unpredictable ways, which presents opportunities and challenges for institutions of higher education.
Science fiction writers and Hollywood have provided the blueprint for the future of humanity and its workforce. On one end of the spectrum, it imagines a utopian lifestyle where AI does all the work and humans have space for creativity and leisure as in the Disney/Pixar movie "Wall-E." On the other, perhaps a self-aware AI that dominates the world at severe cost to humans as in James Cameron's "Terminator" movies. The reality may be neither of these extremes, and universities like Penn State are finding ways to prepare students for as-yet unknowable future careers, and Penn State faculty are transforming how they approach research.
In the Eberly College of Science, researchers are leveraging AI to manage massive datasets, identify patterns in complex images, evaluate tools to improve human health, test the properties of newly developed materials and a myriad of other applications. Instructors are finding innovative ways to incorporate AI into their classrooms to support student learning and to equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in an AI-driven workforce. But what is artificial intelligence, and are people really talking about the same thing when they say AI?
