Prof Brumby highlights generative AI’s role in the future of education

Generative AI is reshaping work, education, and creativity, offering immense opportunities while posing ethical and practical challenges. 

Professor Duncan Brumby, Faculty Graduate Tutor (Taught Programmes) in the Faculty of Brain Sciences and a leading expert in Human-Computer Interaction at UCL, recently delivered a thought-provoking talk at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) titled Generative AI: Lessons from Dickens for the Information Age.

His talk tackled urgent questions for educators: How can generative AI be effectively integrated into teaching and learning while upholding academic standards and equipping students for an AI-supported future? 

Drawing on Dickens’ portrayal of the societal upheavals of the Victorian industrial revolution, Professor Brumby revealed striking parallels to today’s AI-driven transformations. He emphasised the dual nature of AI: a powerful tool for augmenting human capabilities but also a potential disruptor of traditional ways of working and thinking. 

Key themes

• Teaching AI Literacy: Educators play a crucial role in equipping students to critically evaluate and verify AI-generated content for responsible use. AI literacy is essential to address biases, misuse, and the phenomenon of “hallucinations”, where generative AI produces outputs that sound plausible but are factually incorrect or fabricated. These challenges are particularly concerning when misleading content appears authoritative, making critical evaluation an essential skill for the future.
• Preserving our Human Voice: One of the key challenges of using AI tools for creative work is retaining the author’s unique intent and voice (read more). Writing remains a vital academic and creative skill, and AI can serve as a valuable collaborator when used thoughtfully. For example, voice user interfaces can capture spoken ideas, which are then refined through active iteration with AI tools under the guidance of the human author. The result is concise, impactful text, with success measured by how well it resonates with the target audience (as in the AI-assisted text you’re reading now). While AI tools can enhance this process, the human must remain the author, carefully reviewing and finalising the content. 
• Pausing for Reflection: Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT can enhance writing and efficiency at work, but there is a risk of falling into the “speed trap”, where content is generated too quickly without adequate review or thoughtful reflection. To ensure quality, educators and users alike must prioritise deliberate engagement and critical assessment (read more)

Conclusion

The talk concluded with a call to action for educators and researchers to embrace generative AI thoughtfully and ethically, ensuring it enhances education while keeping humans at the centre. This discussion is crucial for the university sector as it navigates the growing integration of generative AI into everyday workflows. 

Watch online: For more insights, watch the full talk on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SA4uEF0ZFYI.