BY ANNA RUSSELL
The University of Baltimore’s commitment to “knowledge that works” isn’t just defined by the hands-on training students receive through experiential learning; scholarship is also a vital component. UBalt’s distinct approach to career-focused education provides students with the skills to meet the immediate needs of today’s workforce, while cultivating the critical knowledge necessary to evolve and meet future demands.
But in today’s technology landscape, this morning’s “future demands” can easily become required skills by the afternoon. This has an increasing number of faculty and administrators are embracing UBalt’s proactive stance on AI, designing policies and pedagogy specific to their areas of study and collaborating on more holistic guidelines for their larger units.
The Merrick School of Business even launched a new STEM-designated Master of Science in AI for Business program in the fall semester to be able to meet the growing demand for managers who can not only use AI technology but articulate its usefulness and understand its limitations.
“ We are at a major inflection point…with our relationship to technology.”
DAVID GROSSBLATT, J.D. ’97
This demand is one of the key reasons Stansbury and her team are steadfast in their promotion of AI literacy as an essential skill for both students and educators.
The implications of artificial intelligence on higher education don’t begin and end with classroom ethics. But the continued growth of AI programs and literacy can’t happen in a vacuum, especially at an institution that relies on the symbiotic relationship between higher education and the public and private sectors to foster workforce development.
REACHING THE SUMMIT
In early June, CELTT hosted the University’s first ever “Generative AI Summit.” More than half a dozen multi-disciplinary panel discussions were convened over three days. Faculty, students and administrators from UBalt were invited, along with community and industry partners, to come together and share their insight and expertise on the evolving role of AI in higher education, its transformative impact on various public and private sector jobs, and how UBalt can integrate AI technology into its academic programs improve future opportunities for its students.
Stansbury’s hope for the conference was “to ignite conversations and collaborations across all fields, highlighting how AI can be integrated into various disciplines to drive innovation and excellence.”
Alumni entrepreneur David Grossblatt, J.D. ’97, is no stranger to tech innovation; in fact, he’s something of an oracle. He’s been along for the ride since the advent of Internet 1.0 and Web 2.0. As the managing member of investment group Giant Leaf LLC, Grossblatt has been stewarding emerging technologies for over two decades.
“We are at a major inflection point, maybe the biggest one yet, with our relationship to technology,” he said about the rise of AI. “We need all the early adopters we can get.”
Stansbury’s vision for the event—and what it could mean for the future of an AI-integrated approach to education and career advancement at his alma mater—made it an easy decision for Grossblatt to sponsor the Summit.
“Our academic institutions no longer have the luxury of playing catch up. This is why I was excited about the Summit—I believe this is UBalt’s opportunity to be an early adopter in this next great phase of the internet. This will offer a huge advantage to those we teach and mentor,” said Grossblatt in his opening remarks at the conference.
“I applaud Dr. Stansbury, CELTT and the entire community for creating this platform with the intention of coming together to commit to developing the skills and expertise to teach our students and our communities about what is coming.”
But one thing was abundantly clear after three days—AI isn’t just coming; it’s already here.
COMING TO CONSENSUS
Regardless of their area of expertise or skill level, participants agreed that collaboration between academia and industry bridged the gap between theory and practice.
They also concurred that by making the development of AI literacy skills an official priority, universities and colleges could not only alleviate major concerns surrounding AI in academia but keep their institutions competitive in one fell swoop.
According to panelists, investing in comprehensive AI literacy platforms will:
- Remove the stigma surrounding assistive learning technology and encourage effective, responsible use that allows students to become adept at identifying inaccuracies or “hallucinations” in AI outputs;
- Empower faculty and administrators to participate in the creation of consistent policies that provide effective guardrails for AI use in the classroom;
- Address ethical concerns by reengaging students with codes of conduct, while simultaneously requiring schools present clear, consistent frameworks for responsible usage across campus;
- Instill a healthy respect for data privacy and protection in the campus community by covering the risks of exposure, especially with sensitive or proprietary data;
- Encourage faculty to incorporate applicable tools and methodologies into their curricula as a means of hands-on learning, as well as critical assessment.
Despite the diversity across the four community and industry panels, there were commonalities across specific approaches to AI adoption. Most agree that AI tools should be custom-built or adapted to meet the unique needs and challenges of the organization, or even the industry. Also, everyone acknowledged in some way that AI should be treated as assistive technology and that the human element cannot be removed from processes, from product development to output analysis.
Many of the ethical concerns present in higher education still exist in the public and private sectors, and most industry professionals agree that there need to be consistent guidelines, and even regulation, during the development phase. There was also consensus that diversity and representation were key factors in ensuring AI tools remain free from bias.
INSIDER INSIGHT
Three of the industry leaders at the Summit were uniquely positioned to share their expertise on the ways UBalt can prepare students up for success in an AI-driven world based on their own experience as UBalt students.
Dr. Dylan Hayden, D.P.A. ’21, is an acclaimed author and social scientist, leveraging over two decades of experience in the military and public sectors to enhance policy research through generative AI. His latest publication, The Public Administrator’s Guide to ChatGPT, offers practical insights into AI’s potential in public administration. Hayden is currently enrolled in UBalt’s new AI for Business program.
Tre Lundy, J.D. ’21, is the founder and CEO of PaySync, a company that specializes in automating and improving processes in supply chain logistics and legal fields. Lundy combines his legal and technological expertise to drive innovation and optimize business operations through advanced technologies, including AI. His professional journey is featured in the current issue of the School of Law’s Baltimore Law Magazine, now available online.
Dean Merritt, J.D. ’04, is the vice president of sales at Baltimore-based Mindgrub Technologies. His career spans legal technology and sales, focusing on leveraging digital solutions, including AI, to enhance business processes. Dean’s expertise in AI was instrumental in leading the “AI in Action” event, collaborating with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to create AI-generated sheet music.
After the Summit, Hayden, Lundy and Merritt were invited to debrief and expand on some of the responses they shared on their panels, including their insider insight on:
- Essential skills and competencies for their industries; • Predicted changes to AI adoption in the next five to 10 years;
- What the future of AI-integrated education looks like in their field.
