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Welcome to the seventh edition of the AI Index Report. The 2024 Index is our most comprehensive to date and arrives at an important moment when AI’s influence on society has never been more pronounced. This year, we have broadened our scope to more extensively cover essential trends such as technical advancements in AI, public perceptions of the technology, and the geopolitical dynamics surrounding its development. Featuring more original data than ever before, this edition introduces new estimates on AI training costs, detailed analyses of the responsible AI landscape, and an entirely new chapter dedicated to AI’s impact on science and medicine.
The AI Index Report tracks, collates, distills, and visualizes data related to AI. Our mission is to provide unbiased, rigorously vetted, broadly sourced data in order for policymakers, researchers, executives, journalists, and the general public to develop a more thorough and nuanced understanding of the complex field of AI.
Via Edumorfosis
t is increasingly common to interact with products that seem “intelligent”, although the label “artificial intelligence” may have been replaced by other euphemisms. Since November 2022, with the emergence of the ChatGPT tool, there has been an exponential increase in the use of artificial intelligence in all areas. Although ChatGPT is just one of many generative artificial intelligence technologies, its impact on teaching and learning processes has been significant. This article reflects on the advantages, disadvantages, potentials, limits, and challenges of generative artificial intelligence technologies in education to avoid the biases inherent in extremist positions. To this end, a systematic review has been carried out of both the tools and the scientific production that has emerged in the six months since the appearance of ChatGPT. Generative artificial intelligence is extremely powerful and improving at an accelerated pace, but it is based on large language models with a probabilistic basis, which means that they have no capacity for reasoning or comprehension and are therefore susceptible to containing errors that need to be contrasted. On the other hand, many of the problems associated with these technologies in educational contexts already existed before their appearance, but now, due to their power, we cannot ignore them, and we must assume what our speed of response will be to analyse and incorporate these tools into our teaching practice.
Most workers who will be exposed to artificial intelligence (AI) will not require specialised AI skills (e.g. machine learning, natural language processing, etc.). Even so, AI will change the tasks these workers do, and the skills they require. This report provides first estimates for the effect of artificial intelligence on the demand for skills in jobs that do not require specialised AI skills. The results show that the skills most demanded in occupations highly exposed to AI are management and business skills. These include skills in general project management, finance, administration and clerical tasks. The results also show that there have been increases over time in the demand for these skills in occupations highly exposed to AI. For example, the share of vacancies in these occupations that demand at least one emotional, cognitive or digital skill has increased by 8 percentage points. However, using a panel of establishments (which induces plausibly exogenous variation in AI exposure), the report finds evidence that the demand for these skills is beginning to fall.
This report delves into a comprehensive exploration of AI capabilities, use cases, affordances, and implications. Highlighted below are the key takeaways, summarizing the most critical aspects and insights:
Specific AI capabilities are changing rapidly, but within relatively stable categories
Current AI systems are incredibly powerful but have critical limitations
We can expect more specialized solutions, machine autonomy, dynamic interfaces, and context awareness, and we will see the emergence of ‘ecosystem models’
The “hallucination problem” and need for human supervision are likely to persist over the next 5-10 years
Specialization will get outsourced to AI in many cases, making more workers into “versatilists”
AI will orchestrate the activities of many human customers and workers and vice versa
Workers and leaders will leverage AI as “thought partners”
Machines will take action within organizations, not just provide advice
AI will play out differently in Japanese organizations
Abstract Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool for knowledge synthesis, the production of written content and the delivery of coaching conversations. Design/methodology/approach The research employed the use of experts to evaluate the outputs from ChatGPT's AI tool in blind tests to review the accuracy and value of outcomes for written content and for coaching conversations. Findings The results from these tasks indicate that there is a significant gap between comparative search tools such as Google Scholar, specialist online discovery tools (EBSCO and PsycNet) and GPT-4's performance. GPT-4 lacks the accuracy and detail which can be found through other tools, although the material produced has strong face validity. It argues organisations, academic institutions and training providers should put in place policies regarding the use of such tools, and professional bodies should amend ethical codes of practice to reduce the risks of false claims being used in published work. Originality/value This is the first research paper to evaluate the current potential of generative AI tools for research, knowledge curation and coaching conversations.
Artificial intelligence (AI) can significantly contribute to the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by offering innovative solutions and enhancing the efficiency of processes aimed at achieving these goals. There is a perceived need for studies which may look at these connections. Against this background, this paper reports on a study that investigated the connections between artificial intelligence and the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at higher education institutions. The paper deployed a multi-methods approach. The first one was a bibliometric analysis of publications in the topic. The second method used was an assessment of a set of case studies, that illustrate how artificial intelligence is being deployed among a sample of universities in support of efforts to implement the SDGs and a survey aimed at identifying current and future trends. The data gathered allow some trends to be identified. For instance, that there is a wide range of applications of AI to sustainability in High Education Institutions (HEI), to be chosen in terms of campus operations and greening, outreach and community engagement, research, teaching and learning, and university management. Also, the paper has identified successful examples of the deployment of AI in various sustainability contexts, illustrating what are the success factors for them. Moreover, the survey identified the fact that the use of AI is quite widely spread, and is likely to increase in coming years, due to a greater demand. Finally, AI also poses several challenges, such as authenticity and ethics in assessment (case studies), ‘lack of access to software/materials’, and ‘lack of information technology training for myself/my colleagues’ (survey). Overall, AI offers a powerful toolset to accelerate and enhance the implementation of the UN SDGs. By analysing vast datasets, predicting outcomes, optimising processes, and providing new insights, AI has the potential to address complex sustainability challenges across various sectors.
Cet ouvrage, « Manuel de formation mondial : l'IA et l'état de droit pour le pouvoir judiciaire », répond à ces besoins et fournit aux acteurs judiciaires (juges, procureurs, avocats, juristes, facultés de droit et établissements de formation judiciaire) les connaissances et les outils nécessaires pour comprendre les avantages et les risques de l'IA dans leur travail. Ce manuel de formation aidera les acteurs judiciaires à atténuer les risques potentiels de l'IA pour les droits humains en fournissant des conseils sur les lois, principes, règles et jurisprudences internationales pertinents en matière de droits humains qui sous-tendent l'utilisation éthique de l'IA.« Les guerres prenant naissance dans l'esprit des hommes, c'est dans l'esprit des hommes que doivent être élevées les défenses de la paix. »35000Acteurs judiciairesde plus de 160 paysparticipent activement à l’Initiative des juges de l'UNESCO
In this research, we discuss the results of a survey of 221 Canadian start-ups and 17 interviews with company leaders and experts to understand how ventures are using or exploring using generative AI and the challenges they’re facing in adopting this technology.
How can generative AI help close Canada’s productivity gap? What barriers are Canadian businesses facing in deploying generative AI, and how are they overcoming these barriers? What are some ways that ventures can take advantage of generative AI’s potential?
KEY INSIGHT #1 When individuals receive training and opportunities to develop their skills, they tend to find greater satisfaction and meaning in their work. Likewise, companies do a better job at attracting and keeping talented employers when they offer opportunities for training and skills development.
KEY INSIGHT #2 To improve the quality of work for front-line employees across industries and sectors, more efforts are needed to build the soft skills of supervisors and managers.
KEY INSIGHT #3 Remote work has contributed to improvements in quality of work, but the benefit is disproportionately with higher-income knowledge workers.
KEY INSIGHT #4 Sustainable gains in work quality can only be achieved by addressing workplace discrimination.
Jobs and the economy “Gaza has witnessed an almost complete destruction of economic activity in all sectors.” That’s the damning analysis of Aya Jaafar, an economist at the UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO).
The ILO estimates that more than 200,000 jobs have been lost in Gaza, some 90 per cent of the pre-conflict workforce. The UN agency further calculates that income losses there have reached $4.1 million per day, which equates to an 80 per cent decrease in the enclave’s GDP (the amount of money earned from the sale of all goods and services). This includes Palestinians who received salaries for work carried out in Israel but who are now unemployed in Gaza.
Construction has typically been one of the most important industries in Gaza, but according to the ILO, activity in the sector is down some 96 per cent. Other key productive areas, including agriculture and the industrial and services sector, have also all but ceased.
The few businesses that are still operating are generally small-scale local enterprises, including bakeries, other food-related businesses and some pharmacies.
What next? The ILO estimates that perhaps 25 per cent of the people killed in Gaza have been men of working age – generally, women do not work. Ms. Jaafar said the loss of these “breadwinners” will mean that families “will face some economic hardships after the war ends”.
This could mean more children in a future Gazan labour market raising concerns about exploitative child labour.
In the immediate post-war situation, some emergency employment programmes will be “critical to provide incomes to workers who have lost their jobs” as they seek to support their families, Ms. Jaafar said.
It is expected that micro and small enterprises will need emergency grants and wage subsidies as part of the process of restoring activity and to facilitate local economic recovery. Extensive skills development and vocational training will also be required.
A key task for any future government of Gaza is to “identify economic strategies that aim not only at improving the economic conditions, but also ensuring that economic growth creates decent jobs”, she added.
Investment-heavy ILO programmes which provide employment opportunities for local communities while supporting the reconstruction or rehabilitation of the destroyed infrastructure will also play an important role.
Skills development initiatives can help prevent conflict and strengthen peace in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. If designed or adapted appropriately, they can strengthen inclusive social dialogue and trust between groups and increase people’s sense of inclusion and their resilience to disruption and violence, through increased employability. Peace can be achieved by adopting peace and conflict analysis, conflict- and gender-sensitivity measures, a social dialogue- based approach, and a strong focus on fairness and inclusion.
AI can bring significant benefits to the workplace. In the OECD AI surveys of employers and workers, four in five workers say that AI improved their performance at work and three in five say that it increased their enjoyment of work. But the benefits of AI depend on addressing the associated risks. Taking the effect of AI into account, occupations at highest risk of automation account for about 27% of employment in OECD countries. Workers also express concerns around increased work intensity, the collection and use of data, and increasing inequality. To support the adoption of trustworthy AI in the workplace, this policy paper identifies the main risks that need to be addressed when using AI in the workplace. It identifies the main policy gaps and offers possible policy avenues specific to labour markets.
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Reinvention works. It’s achievable. It’s actionable. And AI and generative AI are super-charging progress for organizations that embrace it. Go beyond transformation — act now to pull ahead of the pack.
There is a growing trend among employers to hire individuals based on their skills and alternative credentials, which has led to an increased interest in obtaining micro-credentials by potential employees. The interest in micro-credentials is rapidly growing, and universities are taking notice by offering them independently or in collaboration with other providers. Some universities have released guidelines on how micro-credentials will be recognised and integrated into degree programmes. Some are even combining them to lead to a degree.
Currently, Industry 4.0 (I4.0) represents a paradigm shift that is redefining manufacturing processes globally through the integration of advanced technologies in all aspects of production. However, this technological advancement poses significant challenges in the realm of higher education, particularly in properly preparing students to meet the demands of the modern labor market. This article, written by a team of experts from the Polytechnic University of Cartagena and other European institutions, explores the deep gap between the current competencies of students and those required by Industry 4.0, especially in the wood and furniture manufacturing sector. The study is part of the European project MAKING 4.0, which aims to assess and report on the deficiencies and needs in key competencies and skills related to the Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) of I4.0. Through a thorough analysis of surveys directed at relevant actors in the sector, a low level of competencies and qualifications in this industrial sector is revealed, both in educational and industrial contexts. This research not only highlights deficiencies in current training but also emphasizes the urgent need to adapt educational curricula to close these competency gaps and effectively prepare future professionals for the challenges of Industry 4.0.
Via LGA
Abstract About 50 percent of all Dutch students enroll in a vocational education program. All efforts of vocational institutes are aimed at guiding students towards a diploma; yet, on average, about 28 percent of the students drop out.
Abstract Purpose The present study investigates the impact of digital entrepreneurial education and training and its impact on the digital entrepreneurial intention (EI) through the mediating character of entrepreneurial competence. Design/methodology/approach A total of 391 survey responses were collected from employees using convenient and snowball sampling methods. Findings Digital entrepreneurial education and training showed a positive influence on entrepreneurial competence and EI, with entrepreneurial competence mediating the relationship between digital entrepreneurial education and training practices and EI. Research limitations/implications This study is intended to assist the development of digital entrepreneurs. The implications of this study are also useful for governments, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors and various international development institutions. Originality/value The novelty of this study relates to exploring the relationship between digital entrepreneurial education and training, entrepreneurial competence and digital EI.
Continuing, professional, and workforce education units play a pivotal role in assisting colleges and universities navigating the complexities of today's higher education landscape. This includes meeting the growing needs of adult learners, whose significance and requirements are continually evolving, as well as augmenting revenue streams.
A few highlights:
Some Good News
Exponential Surge 45% of respondents agree their unit has appropriate staffing required to execute their goals, nearly double from 23% in 2023. 81% agree that they have support and buy-in from senior academic leadership to scale and expand. Room For Improvement Access to Data 48% do not know enrollment numbers for their online and professional education units. 29% agree it is easy to access real-time enrollment data. Bridging the Gap 54% believe their unit is the most academically innovative at the institution, yet 61% disagree that their unit is seen as academically equal.
KEY INSIGHT #1 To reap the benefits that AI has to offer, its adoption and deployment should be a collaborative and inclusive process that recognizes and addresses genuine concerns individuals have about AI and technology more broadly. FSC projects have shown that such an approach can lead to demonstrable gains in efficiency and well-being.
KEY INSIGHT #2 The absence of an inclusive AI deployment strategy and disregard for its inherent biases risk exacerbating existing inequities.
KEY INSIGHT #3 FSC-supported AI tools have bolstered outcomes in skills matching, career development guidance, and recruitment. The overall effectiveness of these tools was underpinned by recognizing and mitigating the inherent bias and discrimination embedded into these technologies.
KEY INSIGHT #4 Given the breadth of AI’s impact on the world of work, AI skills will become increasingly relevant. FSC and others are making efforts to strengthen basic AI skills and this should form a core component of digital literacy going forward.
This leaflet provides an overview of the BEAR III project’s activities from 2023 to 2027 in four West African beneficiary countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, emphasizing its expected impacts. The document outlines targeted sectors in each country, focusing on enhancing the quality and relevance of TVET programmes to better appeal to youth, businesses, and society. At the core of the project is the adoption of a sector skills development approach, with efforts concentrated on key economic sectors identified in collaboration with national governments and TVET stakeholders to align with strategic agendas.
Artificial intelligence is a machine’s ability to perform some cognitive functions we usually associate with human minds.
Higher education institutions are key players in promoting lifelong learning. By offering a variety of educational programmes in different modalities, they address the diverse needs and interests of learners. By establishing flexible learning pathways, they help ensure continuity of learning throughout life. And by maintaining close interaction with the private sector and local communities, they contribute to socially relevant teaching and research, fulfilling an important social function. This research report presents six case studies of universities in different regions of the world and offers insights into the practical implementation of lifelong learning in the higher education context. It examines regulations and strategic frameworks that support universities’ commitment to lifelong learning, describes how they are responding to new learning demands, and provides examples of specific programmes and initiatives that promote lifelong learning. The report also discusses the challenges these institutions face and how they are addressing them. The case studies were developed as part of a joint research project between the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning and Shanghai Open University on the contribution of higher education institutions to lifelong learning. It is published concurrently with the results of an international survey on this topic (UIL and SOU, 2023) and supplements the quantitative survey data with relevant qualitative research.This report constitutes a valuable resource for policy-makers, higher education leaders, educators and other stakeholders engaged in promoting lifelong learning. The findings presented in this report are conceived as a source of inspiration to further expand and enrich the contribution of higher education institutions to lifelong learning to better serve communities and learners.
How artificial intelligence (AI) will affect learning is a hot topic that some educators view with fear, suspicion, and panic. In fact, many schools have completely barred machine learning from classrooms when they should be harnessing its power and embracing it instead.
Like it or not, the AI genie is out of the bottle, and those who don’t learn the pros and cons of using this cutting-edge technology may be left behind. The future of education should always be rooted in adapting, adopting, and evolving. Adding AI to the mix is just the natural next step in that ongoing journey.
Via Edumorfosis
In this research, we examine the results of interviews with nurse educators, nursing experts, and recent nurse graduates to determine how the pandemic-driven move to virtual study affected the delivery of experiential learning.
Did nursing students learn the necessary skills required for safe and effective practice? How did the move to online learning affect student engagement and academic dishonesty? Were there benefits specific to virtual learning that can be incorporated into future teaching efforts?
Artificial general intelligence (AGI) is a theoretical AI system with capabilities that rival those of a human. Many researchers believe we are still decades, if not centuries, away from achieving AGI.
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