Leveraging AI for educating the citizens of tomorrow | Dr Yaj Medury | Vice Chancellor | Mahindra University
The widening skill gap between the demand for and supply of digital talent, and the disadvantage of not having the right talent at the right time are often a hot topic of discussion in the contemporary corporate world these days. The pandemic has changed the talent acquisition over the last few years, with a significant increase in demand for digital transformation across sectors resulting in a spike in demand for IT talent. As per a Salesforce study, 14 G-20 countries could miss out on $11.5 trillion worth of cumulative growth in GDP if the digital skills gap is substantially reduced. According to consultancy firm Gartner, the IT industry that was growing at around 5 percent prior to Covid-19 is now growing at 8-9 percent! Leveraging new technologies like AI and ML and suitable training of engineering student manpower in these emerging technology tools should greatly help to prepare students and new recruits to meet the challenge of the post-pandemic new era of work.
As all industries start rebuilding, we need to rejig the traditional approach to talent development. There has to be a scope/opportunity in place for continuous upskilling the workforce. Also, digital talent is not just about education in STEM, rather, it’s more about developing a digital mindset to solve problems through data analytics and making use of new tech like AI, thereby making tasks simpler to boost efficiencies. All tech skills don’t necessarily require a four-year degree, which one may, anyway, learn in parallel.
Artificial intelligence has entered every industry, including the educational sector. Teachers and students can work together with the help of AI-powered tools to improve skills and sharpen the abilities of each student. Markets and Markets has predicted that the global market share of AI in education is estimated to reach $3.68 billion by 2023 at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 47 percent. Your chosen AI solution should create the right environment to align talent, technology, and work culture. AI helps with actionable insights to make better choices.
AI for online learning doesn’t replace teachers. Instead, it customises learning for each student, breaching geographical barriers. Such smart tutoring systems offer instant personalized feedback to help them understand their own growth in the learning space and how they can perform better. Teachers can convert their lessons into interactive sessions with flashcards so that students get more involved. Al also makes it possible for students with special needs to study comfortably. SpeakIt!, Widex’s Evoke, and Empower Me are a few examples of AI in education that cater to young learners with special needs. AI-powered chatbots work as students’ assistants round the clock to provide answers to their queries at any time.
AI-powered systems thus work for both students and educators, reducing workload for teachers and helping students with customized solutions.