Future Ready: Artificial Intelligence

September 3, 2024

To the Wentworth Community and Friends:

We have all witnessed the rapid advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it is shaping our world. We believe it is important to share our university's position and plans for integrating this transformative technology into the institute's operations and our academic and research endeavors.

AI presents both opportunities and complex challenges. As a university, we are uniquely positioned to lead the way in navigating this landscape. By fully exploring and leveraging AI, we can enhance our educational offerings, advance research capabilities, improve administrative efficiency, and make a positive impact on our academic community and beyond.

We are actively seeking collaborations and partnerships in the field of AI to enrich our students' education and expand our research impact. By partnering with leading tech companies, we can gain access to state-of-the-art AI tools and expertise. These collaborations will also provide invaluable real-world experience for our students through industry-based projects. Additionally, we are exploring partnerships with other universities across the nation and globe. These connections will create opportunities for faculty and student exchange, strengthen our research capabilities, and foster a vibrant intellectual community.

Preparing students for an AI world

AI technology is evolving quickly, and education must keep pace to prepare students for future challenges and opportunities. Dedicated AI programs and courses can ensure that students learn the most current and relevant information and can help our university produce graduates who are well-prepared to contribute to and lead in the rapidly changing landscape of technology and industry. We will explore the introduction of new courses and programs specifically focusing on AI and its applications, as the demand for AI skills in the job market is rapidly increasing.

AI raises important ethical and societal questions. Specialized courses can provide students with the knowledge to address issues such as bias and privacy. It is important that our students not only learn about AI but also learn by using AI. Additionally, our faculty members are considering making adjustments to existing courses to incorporate AI and its applications and to ensure that their courses remain relevant and effective in preparing students for the evolving landscape of AI and its applications. There will be ongoing research and discussions among our faculty on how we can make such adjustments.

Integrating provisions for AI in our 7-year academic programs plan will be explored, given the rapid advancement and integration of AI technologies across various fields. We will consider offering specialized tracks, minors or certificates in AI, data analytics, and related fields. By incorporating AI into our academic programs plan, we can better prepare students for the evolving job market and ensure they possess the skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven world.

Integrating AI into university operations

Training in AI is essential to ensure we can effectively integrate AI into our teaching, scholarship and/or creative activities, service and support roles, and our operations. We plan to offer workshops and seminars on specific AI topics relevant to various disciplines and application areas, including sessions focused on the ethical implications of AI to ensure we all understand responsible AI practices.

AI offers several opportunities that can benefit our university in various areas that we should explore. For example, AI can analyze data and predict trends in student applications, helping to optimize recruitment strategies and admissions processes. It can also help identify at-risk students and develop targeted interventions to improve retention and graduation rates. Integrating AI into university operations can enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve the overall student and staff experience. This could include using AI to manage room bookings, exam schedules, and automated processes such as admissions applications, financial aid forms, and HR paperwork.

Our approach

We have developed an AI Steering Committee that is focusing on developing a comprehensive policy and process on AI use. This work will involve input from faculty, students, staff, and external experts.

In addition to the AI Steering Committee, we plan to invite all members of our university community to join us in navigating this landscape. There are already AI committees and task forces formed across our schools that are working on various aspects of AI. Together, we can harness the power of AI to drive positive change and uphold the highest standards of academic excellence.

We look forward to your support and engagement as we work together to harness the potential of AI to drive positive change for our academic community.

Respectfully,

Mark A. Thompson, Ph.D.
President

Sophia Maggelakis, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President and Provost