The launch of OpenAI’s generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool, ChatGPT, marked a turning point in the evolution of technology and its role in education. Now a ubiquitous tool, ChatGPT has sparked extremes of fear and curiosity among academics and students alike. Speaking at a session at the 2023 THE Digital Universities MENA summit, Aaron Yaverski, regional vice-president for EMEA at Turnitin, described it as a collective “heart attack” for the academic community. The session, held in partnership with Turnitin, explored the impact of AI on education, including methods of responsible integration and practical applications of AI in education. “Lots of people got nervous that this would be the end of independent writing for students and the end of teaching tools as we knew it. But, in fact, AI can be a very powerful tool,” Yaverski said. “It’s not the end of anything we do. It’s about how we help students get to that critical thinking point in whatever they’re working on.”
