Last October, the editor of my institution’s alumni magazine asked me to contribute an article. I wrote something on AI. At the time, I had been goofing around with a generative program called “Fraze,” so I described my encounter with it and closed it out with a reference to Joseph Aoun’s Robot-Proof, one of my favorite visionary books on higher ed in recent years. I remember thinking: Will this be interesting? Is it too out there? Is anyone thinking about AI that seriously right now?
A month later, ChatGPT appeared, and very soon, my article—which was slated for publication in April—had to be updated twice to stay relevant. Turns out that people are very interested in AI, and things are moving so fast that many techies are lately urging us to pump the brakes.
As you’re swiping through this edition of The Leader, you might notice that there are few mentions of the COVID-19 pandemic. It appears that we’ve moved on, and I’m sure you’ll join me in a sigh of relief about that. Yes, technically, the pandemic is still with us, and some of its aftereffects will not go away, but reflecting on the pandemic seems like a luxury at this point when there is a new revolution in town. So let’s move on to the next crisis, shall we?
For the fall issue, we’d like to hear what you’re thinking about generative AI. How is it hitting at your institution? In your discipline? (Pro tip: it might pay to procrastinate on this one—see my aforementioned worries.) We’re not calling our fall publication a “special issue” per se, but we would like ask you, our readers and contributors, to turn your attention in the direction of AI. How can we help ourselves as we enter this new era?
