Response to the inquiry into the use of generative artificial intelligence in the Australian Education system

Abstract

The emergence and adoption of new technologies and systems, such as Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), will likely have a profound impact on education in Australia, transforming the way we learn, teach, engage and do research. It is important to be clear by what we mean by Generative AI. Here we want to build on the definition provided in the recent Rapid Response Information Forum report from the Office of the Chief Scientist of Australia. That report defined Generative AI as follows; “Whereas conventional AI has been largely analytic, generative AI takes its name from its capacity to generate novel content, as varied as text, image, music and computing code, in response to a user prompt.’’ 1 This definition suggests it is impossible to think about Generative AI without also thinking about AI more broadly. In defining AI, we would look to the 2019 Australian Council of Learned Academics (ACOLA) Report on The Effective and Ethical Development of AI for an appropriate definition. In the report, AI is defined as follows: ‘’Artificial intelligence can be understood as a collection of interrelated technologies used to solve problems that would otherwise require human cognition. Artificial intelligence encompasses a number of methods, including machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), speech recognition, computer vision and automated reasoning.”’2 Taken together, these two definitions make clear that AI is not a singular thing, and as a result neither is Generative AI. Instead, we need to understand AI and Generative AI as complex dynamic systems that rely on a collection of technologies. What neither of these definitions illuminate, however, is that AI and Generative AI, also require data, human labour and a surprising collection of processes, regulations, and rules. As a result, the question of how Generative AI might be used in the Australian Education Sector is not really a question about the deployment and use of a single technology, but rather a question about a collection of technologies and the systems that might animate them. This makes answering the question a more nuanced and more subtle affair. In this submission, we recount our experiences as one of the newest academic units at the Australian National University (ANU). We have been delivering innovative and transformational educational experiences that engage critically and openly with AI, as both a subject of inquiry and a tool for learning. We believe our experiences are relevant and extensible to how we might engage with Generative AI. Based on our experiences, we believe there are optimistic scenarios in which emergent technologies more broadly, and AI systems more specifically, can be effectively used in a range of school and university settings.