The inclusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education is critical to bolster the economy and positively impact and strengthen outputs in educational institutions and workplaces.
This sentiment was expressed by Principal of the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology (SJPI), Ian Drakes, as he addressed education officials and members of the public, at the 16th Samuel Jackman Prescod Memorial Lecture, in the SJPI auditorium. The lecture was part of the institution’s 55th anniversary celebrations.
Noting that “people fear what they do not understand”, he said at the SJPI they embrace technology and think of it as an extension of the exciting times.
Engaging the audience, Principal Drakes said: “What if I told you there are positives to the use of AI? What if I told you that AI can be utilised positively to strengthen the experience and output of industry?”
He pointed out that AI could be used in areas like manufacturing, film and media, architecture, and gaming. He gave detailed examples of how AI could be utilised and explained that in manufacturing, when combined with data from cameras, x-rays, etc., AI could accurately identify defects in parts and products, and assist in locating the basis of these, saving manufacturers valuable time and money.
For film and media, AI allows for the production of content to be more pervasive, especially when this content could be translated to other languages. In architecture, AI is used to design prototypes to facilitate housing solutions, and in gaming, it facilitates exciting games with lifelike graphics, enhancing the gamer experience, the creation of graphics and the coding of games to be used to support the teaching process.
Mr. Drakes cited the mandates of the education sector and Technical and Vocational Education and Training and said they have informed the direction of SJPI and are a great testament to the beliefs of “our namesake” [Samuel Jackman Prescod], as an avid supporter of the working class, champion for education, advocate for social justice, and radical thinker.
“This institution has taken this mandate seriously and has historically paid attention to the various trends occurring in the industries for which it offers workforce training, moving with the ebbs and flows of the world’s interests. It has recognised, that as the world is considered a global village, denoting a sense of interconnectedness and interdependence of the countries, any small ripple affecting one, will invariably affect the others,” he told the audience.
In a joint presentation on the topic: “Generative AI: Redefining Education and the Workplace”, speakers at the event, Director of Academic Programming and Delivery, with The University of the West Indies – Global Campus, Dr. Glenda Gay, and Group ICT Manager of Goddards Enterprises, Terry Scantlebury, encouraged the attendees to embrace the opportunities being created through AI.
Mr. Scantlebury stated that Generative AI disrupts the workplace and has its limitations, but added that it provides a new era in education, where creative people are still needed to guide the process.
Meanwhile, Dr. Gay opined that while there was a fear of the technology, Generative AI could assist teachers with lesson plans, create quizzes, and generate multiple-choice items at undergraduate levels. She added: “One of things you must do in this tidal wave is to educate yourself.”