Mohamed Desoky

Context

What do you teach and how have you been thinking about artificial intelligence in the context of those courses?

I teach financial analytics and technology courses at the Wake Forest School of Professional Studies. What excites me about Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the efficiency gains that our professionals will eventually apply to their respective workplaces and industries. Gone are the days of manually sifting through pages of financial reports to find key figures or statements, and analyzing user data for insights; AIs can now automate these tasks, affording humans higher level thinking capacity. What I believe is essential to promoting this human-machine new normal is imparting the foundational knowledge that will galvanize student confidence to be curious. This curiosity can be about improving a process or introducing a new product with the assistance of an AI. Finance has great potential to advance the economy with the proper use of these technologies. However, the existential threat is that bad actors may use these tools to extract inequities such as profits and/or information not privy to others. This potentially negative side of AI gives me impetus to reinforce AI literacy for students so they fully grasp its unethical applications.

Strategies

Has the development of generative AI changed how you teach?

Generative AI (GAI) has helped me elevate the development of new courses. I can now augment my thinking by defining learning objectives for a module that I can share with ChatGPT for a secondary check. After finalizing all module objectives, I can also efficiently develop a course project with GAI assistance.

For the FTA799 capstone, I applied these techniques but also thought about how to counteract the job-threatening prospects of AI. Encouraging students to develop their project whilst staying relevant in the age of AI is a secondary goal of the capstone project. What we know GAI can’t do is ideate, recognize broad patterns (we have more senses – right now anyway – than most AIs), and handle complex communications. However, they can propose AI solutions in the establishment of their cybersecurity strategy, product, operational process, etc.

Impact

How have students responded to these changes? What have you learned and how will it shape your teaching moving forward?

I have yet to collect feedback on FTA799 as that course will start in March 2024. However, in general, I have not observed an overabundance of AI usage in my courses. I did suspect a particularly suspicious discussion post that appeared to be generated by an AI this term, where the student did not cite their usage and stated that the response post was 30% AI.

After the above case, I believe clear AI usage and literacy should be defined as part of the program/course experience.

Lessons Learned

What advice do you have for others who are asking similar questions and considering similar changes?

For administrative leaders, to clearly articulate views about AI literacy and unethical behavior, especially in the context of sacrificing human development.

For faculty, to be very clear about your AI expectations in your course syllabus.

For students, to think about how learning is directly related to future fulfillment and confidence, both personally and professionally.

Disciplinary Insights

How might your discipline help students prepare for a world in which AI is ubiquitous?

We can provide them with the resources and relevant case studies that can advance their thinking around AI applications. Demonstrating the pitfalls and unethical behavior will be the other side of that coin.

And generally emphasizing that, although AI is ubiquitous with infinite potential, societies need humans in jobs to avoid crime, family dissolution, welfare, low levels of social organization/initiative, etc. Therefore we will impart a mentality on students that is not replete with fear, but more full of opportunity and incentive to work with AI in this new economic normal.