AI replaces humans, where is the value of a degree?

(Dan Tri) - When AI can write, analyze, support research and do many intellectual tasks, the question is what students need to learn to avoid being left behind.

Previously, to write a report, analyze data or find ideas for a research topic, students and scientists needed a lot of time to read, study, experiment and process information themselves. But now, with the emergence of artificial intelligence tools, many of these tasks can be supported by AI in a very short time.

This makes the question of AI no longer stop at "what can this technology do". The bigger problem is that when AI can do more and more intellectual work, what people need to learn, what skills to practice, and how the value of a university degree will be perceived.

That is one of the issues raised by Professor Tran The Truyen, Head of AI, Health and Science Department, Institute of Applied Artificial Intelligence, Deakin University (Australia), in the topic "AI Ethics in Science & Education" at the international conference "AI - Understanding to accompany", recently held in Hanoi.

Professor Tran The Truyen, Head of AI, Health and Science Department, Institute of Applied Artificial Intelligence, Deakin University, Australia (Photo: BTC).

From the perspective of a scientist working in a university environment, Professor Truyen believes that university is not only a place of teaching but also a place of research, creating new knowledge, then bringing that knowledge back to serve society and convey it to students.

However, as AI becomes increasingly involved in the learning, writing, programming, analysis and research processes, the traditional role of schools is facing many new questions.

In education, the most obvious worry is that students can use AI to do homework, write essays, and complete assignments without really understanding the problem. This raises challenges regarding academic cheating, academic integrity, and how schools evaluate learner abilities.

From there, the expert questioned the value of a university degree. For many years, the reputation of universities has been built on their ability to produce graduates who have knowledge, skills and meet societal needs.

But if AI drastically changes the way people learn and work, a university degree also needs to be seen in a new context.

In other words, a degree will not just be proof that a person has completed a program of study.

This change is not just taking place in the laboratory or university lecture hall. In daily work, AI is gradually becoming a familiar tool, just like email or office software once became basic skills of workers.

Therefore, knowing how to use AI may no longer be a special advantage in the near future. What makes the difference between learners and workers is not who can use the tool faster, but in the ability to ask the right questions, understand the limits of technology, verify information and take responsibility for the final choice.

AI can provide answers in seconds, but they are not always complete, accurate, or contextual.

At that time, the role of humans does not disappear, but moves to a higher level: knowing how to evaluate, choose, adjust and use the results created by AI responsibly.