Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Practitioner Education in Higher Education (HE)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionise educational outcomes for practitioners in higher education (HE), however, concerns about plagiarism and ethical dilemmas highlight the need for regulatory frameworks and policy debates to keep up with rapid technological developments. AI has significant potential for university practitioners, including saving time on administrative burdens, AI tutoring systems, personalised learning pathways, speech-to-text automation, and Automated Essay Writing (AEW). This short think-piece explores the increasing use of AI technology in HE and how this has prompted universities to rethink their pedagogy. We argue that personalised learning pathways bring forth critical discussions concerning student data privacy, security, and ethical considerations. Whilst platforms such as OpenAI's ChatGPT may be viewed as beneficial to generate learning resources, algorithmic bias and its replication of societal prejudices are raised. AEW has emerged as a challenge for academics regarding detection and student self-efficacy. Moreover, AI poses many educational provocations for practitioners as it links to the work of Jean Baudrillard and his concept of simulacra, where what is virtual, in fact, becomes a new form of reality.