Artificial intelligence may seem like a new, shiny buzzword to some. But intelligent tech has been a part of our daily lives for longer than you might think.
Companies like TikTok, Twitter, Google and Apple use AI to customize each user’s on-screen experience to fit their taste. It’s incorporated into almost every big business that lives on the internet.
Now, AI is helping students write essays, assisting business owners in marketing strategies and even helping colleges decide who will be in their freshman classes going forward.
Here’s what to know about AI’s role in college admissions, why colleges are using it in their admissions departments and which Florida colleges offer artificial intelligence majors.
Is there a role for artificial intelligence in education?
Artificial intelligence has the potential to influence educational systems in both student life and the way colleges and universities operate. There are many roles for AI in education.
Rapid advances in artificial intelligence and new, smarter iterations of software like ChatGPT over the last year have brought AI to the forefront of conversations around how much students rely on technology. The software garnered the most praise with students looking for help with essays and school projects over the three academic semesters that it’s been accessible to them.
Online education-centered magazine Intelligent.com surveyed 1,223 undergraduate and graduate students and released the findings in September. One third of the students surveyed said they used ChatGPT for schoolwork in the last year.
But it isn’t just students who are incorporating AI in the education experience. Intelligent.com also surveyed the other side of the education equation and found that eight in 10 private high schools and colleges plan to use artificial intelligence in their admissions departments by next year. In the same survey, half of the education professionals who responded said their admissions departments currently use AI.
Why are college admissions offices using AI?
Of the almost 400 education professionals that were surveyed, 73% told Intelligent that they use AI to review letters of recommendation, 71% said they use it to review transcripts and 61% said their school uses AI to communicate with applicants.
Professor and Higher Education Advisor Diane Gayeski has been a dean for 11 years and told Intelligent that using AI programs like Element 451 in the admissions process helps answer students’ frequently asked questions. Gayeski also said artificial intelligence helps schools cut down on the need for temporary workers to review application materials manually.
“Many colleges subscribe to services that analyze past classes, and they use that data to score applicants on the likelihood that they will be successful and how much financial aid they’ll need,” Gayeski told Intelligent. “Bottom line: a lot of the admission process is rather ‘mechanical’ even without AI.”
Is artificial intelligence a major in Florida colleges?
According to Learn.org, an online library of free resources for students, Florida is poised to become a key player in the artificial intelligence education boom. It’s not an established major in most universities, but you can get certified or take courses in AI in person or online at most Florida universities.
There are plenty of artificial intelligence certification programs cropping up at universities throughout Florida, most notably the University of Florida, but there are some programs that allow you to earn a certification in AI online.
Here are four Florida universities where you can earn a certification in AI online:
- University of South Florida – Certification
- Florida Atlantic University – Short artificial intelligence course offered online, MS with major in artificial intelligence (in-person)
- University of West Florida – AI machine learning bootcamp
- University of Miami – offers artificial intelligence courses