Campus Technology Insider Podcast January 2024
David Weil 20:57
Can I build on that? And I don't know whether you all agree with this statement, I'm sort of playing around with it. Generative AI or AI will not make a good programmer great. However, it will allow a great programmer to focus on the skills and the value that they add as the great programmer, because it can supplement and take care of a lot of the rote stuff.
Howard Holton 21:25
No, that's, that's very true. Not only will it not make a good programmer great, but it will make everyone a programmer.
David Weil 21:31
Yes.
Howard Holton 21:32
Right?
David Weil 21:32
Yeah.
Howard Holton 21:33
Like, like, if you think about it as a democratization tool, it's spectacular as a democratization tool. Making you great is never going to come from a tool.
David Weil 21:45
That's right.
Howard Holton 21:46
It's going to come from your approach, it's going to come from your knowledge, it's going to come from your inquisitive nature, it's going to come from your critical thinking skills, right? AI is never going to tell you, "Hey, I get that you told me to make this program, but have you actually thought about how anyone's gonna use it, or why they would, or if it achieves the purpose?" Those are all the things that start to make great programmers, right, is the ability to understand why I would do something and why I would do it that way. And to be iterative enough not to be attached to the fact that you, you had an idea that sounded good to you, but when you released it into the world, the world went, "Ha ha ha ha, that sucks. We'd rather do this." AI is not going to help with that. But that's what makes a good programmer.
David Weil 22:25
So if you buy into that, then the corollary is, I think AI actually builds the case for higher education. Because we have to develop these critical thinking skills in people. And that's something that I know when, you know, all this first started and, you know, came out, and everyone's like, "Oh my gosh, what does that mean for higher education?" I think it actually makes the case for it.
Howard Holton 22:47
It makes the case that higher education needs to change so it stays relevant, and then it will be very relevant. But I would argue higher education does not do a fantastic job of creating lifelong learners, it does not do a fantastic job of creating critical thinkers. I'm not saying that that's a universal statement. There are professors that do a good job at that, there are programs that do a good job of that. But higher education as a whole, I would argue, has failed to do that today for students. And let's keep in mind, we have the most disenfranchised generation that's ever existed in our history, that does not share the value chain of prior generations, that is looking at higher education going, "This is no longer a guarantee of a job or a career and it cost $140,000." Creating lifelong learners creates lifelong employed people. It creates people that are in demand. But you have to have teachers and professors and faculty that 100% buy in, where that is the mission. Not, can you turn in a paper that has this many words that checks these boxes.
David Weil 23:49
It sets the path for what higher education needs to accomplish.
Rhea Kelly 23:55
So Dave, I like how you were mentioning the shifts in culture, workforce, and technology. I wanted to dive into the culture piece because higher ed is notoriously slow in terms of culture change or change in general. So I'm wondering, whose responsibility is it on a campus to kind of drive the culture change that is needed to embrace AI or, or use AI to its best potential?