The Future of Artificial Intelligence at CPS
by Uwe Hohgrawe, Associate Dean of Global Learner Access, Strategic Partnerships and AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) I is an integral part of our world, with the magnificent potential to become our trusted digital companion. As such, its impact on education and organizational competitiveness cannot be overstated. To harness AI’s potential while mitigating its undeniable risks, the College of Professional Studies (CPS) is introducing AI guidelines, literacy programs, and other supporting resources. These efforts serve as an opportunity to connect and learn from each other with the goal of providing and promoting access to and navigation through the future of AI.
We will continue to build on the experiences of the colleagues that laid the first stone, and the AI guidelines are a great example of that. The primary goals of creating those AI guidelines are to provide certainty, support, and a safe environment for experimentation. These guidelines aim to showcase AI’s opportunities while addressing concerns and unease about navigating the technology.
Beyond the guidelines, our overarching goal is to integrate AI in everything we do at CPS. It’s an essential part of the future competitive landscape of any professional field. It is something that we are obliged to offer our students by ensuring the highest level of rigor, quality, and discipline, to prepare them well for the workforce.
Strategic, Human-Centered AI Integration
Strategically, the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern like any other successful organization needs to conduct a lawful, ethical, profitable and sustainable operation. This creates long-term value for current and future students, staff, and faculty. We need to understand market needs, ensuring access to high quality, scalable, innovative, programs including the latest technology. By integrating AI into our programs, products, and services we create the opportunity to expand our leadership and enhance the success of our students who cannot afford to fall behind in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.
The integration of AI at CPS focuses on several key areas:
- Implement AI Guidelines with principles and specific standards
- Upskill and reskill faculty and staff to become AI proficient
- Immerse AI in our curricula
- Offer all CPS students the prospect to become AI literate
- Provide our partners AI solutions
- Implement a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) system for accessing institutional knowledge
- Create an AI-friendly environment that encourages human-centered innovation
AI’s impact extends far beyond education. It’s not just another steam engine, or telephone. It goes far beyond the printing press and even the internet. Consider this:
- AI has a 40% adoption rate after two years, compared with 20% for the internet after two years and 20% for PCs after three years. (The Harvard Gazette, 2024)
- AI has the potential to increase productivity substantially by automating routine tasks, allowing humans to focus on higher-value activities that require creativity and critical thinking.
- This “humanics” approach, leading with human creativity in the adoption of technology, will lead to more creative solutions to pressing challenges, pushing boundaries for innovation with profound implications for our global economic and cultural landscape.
By working closely with our partners in the public and private sector, CPS is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in the integration of AI as we serve a myriad of professions and academic disciplines that span an ever-expanding spectrum of industries.
With more than 70 programs and nearly 1,000 teaching faculty, most of whom are active leaders in their field, and by collaborating with our partners across the world whose guidance we rely on, CPS is on the front lines of the real-time integration of AI into both the workplace and education.
Uwe Hohgrawe
Becoming AI Literate
AI literacy is crucial for faculty, staff, and students. It is essential to develop a comprehensive understanding of AI to effectively incorporate it into curricula and administrative processes. Via a pilot and survey using an AI Interview Agent and starting the beginning of 2025 CPS staff and faculty will be asked to share their AI experiences. We will use those responses to prepare AI classes that fit our collective needs. For students, an AI badge program is in development for the beginning of 2025 that aims to provide a general understanding of AI, enabling students to become “AI literate” and capable of navigating AI in their future careers.
By actively participating in its development and implementation, we are collaboratively building a roadmap to empower future CPS graduates with proven skills in the integration of AI into their careers. In addition, the entire CPS community is invited to join the noble opportunity to guide AI in a direction that benefits humanity. Ethical considerations and regulations will play a vital role in shaping AI’s future, with different cultures and countries contributing to the global conversation. As a global academic hub, with faculty and students from every corner of the world, CPS is uniquely equipped to serve as a meeting ground for that conversation.
Ultimately, AI represents a technological advancement of a magnitude we have never seen before. By embracing AI literacy and proficiency and maintaining a human-centered approach for our staff, faculty, partners, and most importantly, our students, CPS will harness AI’s power to enhance learning experiences and prepare for an AI-driven future.
Or in the words of Colin Angle, founder and previously CEO of iRobot, “It’s going to be interesting to see how society deals with artificial intelligence, but it will definitely be cool.”
