UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In a recent op-ed for PennLive, Penn State Executive Vice President and Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos shares his thoughts about the impact of AI on doctoral education and how those changes could shape Penn State’s land-grant mission in the 21st century.
Sotiropoulos writes about past evolutions in research and science such as the transition from human computers to digital computing programs, and how those changes expanded the ability to explore new ideas and ask complex questions. He predicts that AI will continue to fundamentally shape the research landscape, particularly for graduate students.
While AI won’t replace the Ph.D. — human judgement, ethics and curiosity will always be essential to scientific discovery — Sotiropoulos writes that AI offers an unprecedented opportunity to drastically impact how we explore our world. Sotiropoulos envisions that this ability to expedite the research process and expand on what was once thought possible holds exciting potential for Penn State and the people of Pennsylvania.