Prof. Dr. Umer Farooq and Umamah Farooq
The phrase of ‘writing with trembling fingers’ could have had a better meaning if it were the days of writing with a pen and paper, but those days are long gone. Having traversed through the age of typewriters, today we are deep into a world mesmerized by technological advancements where typing on the keyboard of computers/laptops is carried out extensively. Hence, this term may be ambiguous in usage today. Yet admittedly, we embark upon typing this write-up on higher education in Pakistan ‘with trembling fingers’ as scores have already been written, published, acclaimed, discussed and rationalized. Though most of it has been left unimplemented. Anyhow, we will keep it in stricter perspective to the ever-capturing global scenario of generative artificial intelligence (AI)- the machines which one day, may take decisions and think critically for humans, and as humans (as is being argued widely).
Let’s have a brief overview of salient AI-related news and progress in the country:
The federal and provincial regulatory bodies such as Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Punjab HEC are mapping out various MoUs with foreign trainers/experts/faculties, from industry and academia, which, in times to come, will train the university faculty of Pakistan in allied aspects of AI especially ChatGPT.
The National AI Policy-2022, put forth by the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication (IT&T), Pakistan aims to create awareness about AI technologies while simultaneously prioritizing privacy and ethical considerations. The government is working on a consultation process led by the Ministry of IT&T, which includes a dedicated unit to monitor the implementation of the aforementioned policy, regular reporting, and engagement with the private sector to enhance the capacity and use of AI in the country. The ultimate goal is to place Pakistan in a competitive position to ensure AI integration while following global trends.
The National Skills University, Islamabad- a UNESCO/UNEVOC international center in Pakistan- as per April, 2023 established a Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (GPT) Executive Training Center. Sindh HEC recently inaugurated an AI Computing Lab at Sindh Madrassa-tul-Islam University. As per the Chief Minister of Punjab, Pakistan’s first AI University is set to be established in Lahore.
Various degree awarding institutes and universities have started offering diplomas and short courses in varied aspects of AI, and the student catch towards them has been quite substantial
Plagiarism policies of educational institutes are being revised to keep in view the progressive incorporation of AI in each and every aspect of academics and research.
It has been made evident from all the examples mentioned above that the country is destined to have an AI-driven education system sooner rather than later, but certain mind-numbing questions continue to puzzle the human mind. What of academic integrity and clarity? How will our ethics be hampered? Will the employment status dwindle with the influx of AI users? Will the human mind no longer be able to attain higher cognitive and perceptive skills? Will the motor skills allied to the mental faculties in humans diminish with time? Will the other hidden cerebral functions of highest value surface up in humans? Is the usage of AI cheating or a ‘Legitimate Cheat’?
On 27th of October, 2024, few days before the announcement of Nobel Laureates, an article titled “Will AI One Day Win a Nobel Prize?” popped up in Dawn (the oldest and highly circulated English newspaper of Pakistan) which endorsed that many researchers/scientists in the world are working on devising an “AI Scientist” fully capable of conducting research autonomously on its own. The said article presented two diverging ideas from the global scientists. The first group claimed that the scientific traditions of the world will not be taken over by machines, whereas the other group proclaims that first AI will impact science as it is conducted, and ultimately will start to take charge.
A few weeks later, the Nobel Prizes were announced. To no one’s surprise, the Nobel Prize for Chemistry and Physics was snatched away by scientists who provided breakthroughs in AI. For Physics, it was awarded for work in neural networks- foundation of modern AI and for Chemistry, it was awarded to the creators of AlphaFolds an AI-based tool for solving problems with protein folding. Both awards emphasize the transformative potential of AI across scientific disciplines, as well as concerns about AI’s rapid development and the ethical considerations that follow it, with Geoffrey Hinton (Godfather of Deep Learning) notably voicing caution about AI’s future impact on society.
Whether this advancement is frightening or heartening, we leave this quandary upon the reader.
Having been involved in intricate aspects of academics/research for the last 20 years, we, like other faculty members of a university, have come across tons of written material in shape of theses, synopses, dissertations, research proposals, projects, journal articles etc. And we are witnessing a huge transformation in the writing patterns, styling, formatting and allied aspects of scientific write-ups. The post-graduate research scholars have actively engaged themselves into AI-driven and AI-generated write-ups using various AI-platforms. From initial write-up to paraphrasing, everything is AI-dependent for them now. Alas, appropriate usage of AI, critical thinking and analysis, concept leverage and use of common sense while using AI, is a far cry from these scholars. The AI is solely being used in order to reduce the painful, tedious, tricky and artistic art of writing, and to bide time in order to get their degree completed in the quickest way possible. All technologies have their own pros and cons, depending upon who is using it and for what purpose. The AI seems to be taking a gloomy outlook within the community of research scholars. What mobile phones have done to the younger generations in terms of their negative consequences, may be a similar dawn for AI as well.
Having seen all this, we ourselves delved into various AI-based tools for the sake of our own learning. For this purpose, we took a few AI courses in order to grab the basic essence of it. And now we have been using it to generate images, videos and presentations, and for discussing, rationalizing and finalizing problem-based research ideas. The statistical analyses- a major component of every research- and their interpretations have become less intense for us at a mental level where we never could have reached earlier without AI. Despite having used it extensively for our assistance over the past few months, we have not yet seen a rising urge of getting paid versions of AI tools because the free ones do justice to all our everyday queries and requirements. Most interesting of all, AI (such as ChatGPT) seems to be an assistant for us, but never a comparable match to the human mind, because each output provided by it still needs thorough scrutiny by the human mind. Being avid admirers of human body as one of the best creations of God, we perceive that the AI will not be able to prevail human mind.
In Pakistan’s scenario of higher education, AI poses questions and issues far threatening and perplexing than for other nations of the world owing to its socioeconomic profile, literacy rate, geographic placement, population dynamics, and religio-cultural twists. A few have been summed below:
– Equity of Access: How to ensure that all students and faculty, regardless of their socioeconomic background or geographical location, have equal access to AI-driven educational resources and technologies?
– Quality vs. Cost: In today’s dire times when many universities of the country are battling to keep the salaries flowing steadily, how could institutions balance the cost of these technologies with the need to maintain or improve the quality of higher education?
– Data Privacy: With the use of AI in higher education, how are student data privacy and security being protected, and what ethical considerations arise from collecting and using this data?
– Job Displacements: Can there be a job displacement resulting in downsizing, rightsizing or any other type of sizing which the government may deem fit?
– Faculty Relevance and Pedagogical Strategies: Will all the faculty of an institute, regardless of their qualification, subject expertise, skill, age and stage, be able to cope up with highly evolving AI tools and techniques in terms of own learning and then disseminating to their students? How should faculty adapt their teaching strategies in response to AI technologies, and what training is necessary to effectively integrate AI into traditional pedagogies?
– Cultural Relevance: Will AI-driven tools be able to adequately address the diverse cultural and educational needs of students and faculty in Pakistan, ensuring that content is relevant and respectful of local contexts?
– Learning Outcomes: What metrics should be used to assess the effectiveness of AI-driven education in improving learning outcomes, and how do we define success in this context?
– Dependency Risks: Could an over-reliance on AI tools undermine critical thinking and problem-solving skills among students, and how can educators mitigate this potential risk?
– Integration Challenges: What are the systemic challenges faced by universities in Pakistan when integrating AI into their existing curricula and infrastructure, and how can these be overcome?
– Future of Work: How should higher education institutions prepare students for a future workforce that increasingly requires AI literacy, and what programs or initiatives should be developed to support this?
These questions can serve as thought-provoking prompts for discussions among students, faculty, and administrators as they navigate the complexities of AI integration in higher education in Pakistan. The research emanating from Pakistani universities is already far from being practical, field-oriented and problem-based and has lately never resulted in substantial economic uplifting of the country.
History reveals that the human mind has always taken time to accept technological advancements. First, we allow our mind to comprehend them, then we follow our hearts towards them, and finally we let them in to our lives and our houses. Interestingly enough, even in Pakistan there used to be a time when televisions were forbidden in families and were considered as a taboo in religious and socio-cultural aspects. Several scientific pursuits, which were once seen as breakthroughs, later raised serious ethical and safety concerns as unforeseen consequences started to emerge. For instance, nuclear physics began with the promise of cheap, limitless energy, but after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and numerous nuclear accidents like Chernobyl and Fukushima, the world witnessed its devastating power and recoiled from its hazardous implications. Similarly, pesticides hailed in the mid-20th century for their effectiveness, were later found to cause environmental harm and health risks, impacting ecosystems and human health. Gene editing, particularly the CRISPR, has revolutionized medicine and agriculture, yet the prospect of ‘designer babies’ and unanticipated genetic changes in ecosystems have sparked ethical concerns. And now, universities are inexplicably working on nanoparticles. Let’s see what the future holds for them as to their fate in being a useful technology for daily lives, mere academic output, or whether they hide a murky angle.
In AI, initial enthusiasm has led to an unease about autonomous weapons, privacy invasion, and economic disruption. Each of these fields serves as a reminder of the need for caution, ethical guidelines, and oversight in scientific advancements. In Pakistani circumstances, could AI be a bane or a boon? Time may reveal later!
Having a limited mental capacity, we are unable to cater a drop-scene for AI and its fate here. However, we proclaim that our thoughts and experience put in these words cannot be taken as a generalization for those by other students and faculty.
The authors are academicians/researchers
