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Nido Qubein is president of High Point University, a private, nonprofit university in North Carolina.
When powered by AI ChatGPT Since its much-hyped debut, higher education leaders have naturally questioned how students will use the high-tech tools to write essays and research papers for their classes.
It wasn't long before we learned that AI was only impacting higher education in micro ways. There are bigger questions that universities need to answer. How can we help our students succeed and lead in a complex AI-driven world after they graduate?
I believe the answer is life skills, something that outlasts and extends the inevitable technological changes. We need to stop being afraid of AI and instead teach our students to be resilient, self-reliant, compassionate, and sound judgment.
We will not leave our students lacking in technical skills. But when it comes to AI, this alone is not enough. AI will eliminate more traditional technical jobs and cause major disruption in the way we live and work. Some are positive, some less so.
Colleges and universities must ensure that they are teaching students the following skills:
Judgment and problem solving
Fast-moving technology, notorious for making serious errors, requires supervision by people with strong critical thinking skills.
I had a fun experience recently. interview Famous theoretical physicist Michio Kaku. Since we already have artificial intelligence, I asked if it would be possible to have artificial intelligence someday. His answer was telling.
“Intelligence is more than just being smart. “It’s about being able to synthesize the data and draw some conclusions.” Kaku “Then calculate the consequences of these conclusions from your conclusions. It takes us to wisdom, and artificial intelligence doesn't go that far. It simply makes calculations possible.”
Experience is the best way to help students hone their judgment and problem-solving skills.
We need to provide more experiences, faster, to every type of student pursuing every major and degree. Students exercise and build these skills when they have the opportunity to solve a real-world problem, implement a solution to a community problem, or create something that improves the lives of others.
Campuses typically have laboratories and physical studios where students conduct research, produce creative work, learn new skills, devise new ways of working, and face scenarios that will continue to arise in the workplace.
We must provide all students with access to these resources and the freedom to pursue their intellectual curiosity. AI lacks the human element we look for in leaders. Our priority is to develop the whole student to become a well-rounded global citizen.
Empathy and emotional intelligence
A society experiencing the type of disruption that AI will bring will need strong leaders with the ability to put themselves in other people's shoes and provide help to those in need.
In 2022, our university’s Surveying Research Center will Questions to 500 executives We examine what leaders in organizations with more than 2,500 employees look for when hiring candidates, and what qualities employees need to advance and continue to grow in their careers.
The survey confirmed what I have always believed. In other words, human relations skills are more in demand and more difficult to develop than technical skills. What to consider Kaku This is especially true in an AI-driven world. AI can guide the technical aspects of something, but only humans can construct it with empathy and emotional wisdom.
A majority of executives (64%) say they would be more hesitant to hire a new college graduate who lacks emotional intelligence than someone who lacks technical skills. This is not surprising, considering that far more executives say it is much easier to develop employees' technical skills than their personal initiative and coaching abilities.
Another way to look at the importance of having life skills like emotional intelligence is to consider how you feel at the doctor's office.
Even though doctors are highly trained, they know that bedside manner is still an important tool. When visiting a doctor, your ability to listen and communicate with your doctor is just as important as your technical skills. When you seek clarity about a medical issue, you may not go back to a doctor who ignores your concerns and doesn't answer your questions.
We are failing our students if we teach them that life skills are no longer valuable in the age of AI.
Resilience and openness to change
We need to give students the confidence to embrace positive change and trust their ability to adapt to negative influences. Technology won’t stand still, and neither will our students.
Disruptive innovation expert Daniel Burrus I recently gave a presentation to our faculty about the future. He gave examples of doctors who use medical AI platforms to serve patients and those who do not. He pointed out that most of us would have much more trust in a doctor who is willing to learn and adopt new medical tools and techniques in the pursuit of better care than a doctor who sticks to his ways and scoffs at change.
New technologies can mean new routines, new economic realities, the emergence of new opportunities, and the disappearance of others. College graduates need the ability to embrace the positive and overcome the challenges of disruption.
We face difficult times. Our institutions must be able to adapt strategically in ways that benefit students for the rest of their lives. Prioritizing their important life skills is actually our most important task.