A survey commissioned by Turnitin has revealed that, out of the countries surveyed, India leads in positive perceptions on AI usage. Chaitali Moitra, Regional Director – South Asia, Turnitin in conversation with Educationspeak on the impact of AI on education.

OF late, the term – Artificial Intelligence (AI) – is being bandied about often by stakeholders in the education industry leading to both excitement and consternation in equal parts. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the government’s blueprint for redefining the face of education in the country, calls for integrating `disruptive technologies’ such as Artificial Intelligence into education while raising awareness and highlighting concerns relating to data privacy and protection during deployment.

According to the government, the deployment of AI in teaching and learning can drive better outcomes for teachers and students. AI can offer personalised learning experiences, automate routine tasks, help in learning and assimilation and enhance productivity among other things. And while on paper, all of this sounds impressive, in the absence of strict policing and specific guidelines for universities and education institutes to follow, the risks could easily outweigh the advantages. Overdependence on AI suppressing creativity and enterprise not to mention impacting academic integrity, concerns around data privacy and protection are a few of the risks being highlighted by critics. The need of the hour, therefore, is a watertight AI policy for education.

Educationspeak caught up with Chaitali Moitra, Regional Director – South Asia, Turnitin to find out about the effect of AI on India’s education industry. Turnitin is a global provider of academic integrity and assessment tools. The company has recently released the findings of a survey commissioned by Turnitin and conducted by UK-based market research firm Vanson Bourne. According to the survey, 85% of Indian students and educators find AI’s availability and volume overwhelming. The survey also reveals that 93 per cent of survey respondents in India feel positive about the impact AI is having on education. This is the highest reported positive outlook on the impact of AI on education across the regions and countries surveyed. Turnitin’s survey includes data and insights from 3500 students, educators, and academic administrators across six countries, including India, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Ireland and the US.

Educationspeak: Are there any guidelines framed by the government regarding the use of AI in colleges and universities? Last year, a law student had sued his institute because his paper was found to have been written with the help of AI. In instances such as these, what is the recourse?

Chaitali Moitra: As a global company, Turnitin stands for and focuses on integrity in education and academic research. Our perspective is that AI policy legislation should be in the best interests of the education community.

Educationspeak: The study commissioned by Turnitin has indicated that AI is mostly viewed in a positive light. But there remain apprehensions about misuse. What, in your opinion, are the ground realities as far as India is concerned?

Chaitali Moitra: There are a few perspectives present in the research. 93% of survey respondents in India feel positive about the impacts that AI is having on education. This is the highest reported positive outlook on the impact of AI on education across the regions/countries surveyed. However, 85% of survey respondents in India say the availability and volume of AI is overwhelming. Interestingly, while respondents in India are the most positive about the impact of AI, they also reported being the most overwhelmed by its volume and availability. In short, the positivity around the impacts that AI is having on education in India presents an exciting opportunity for students, educators and academic administrators throughout the region to lean into new advancements in technology.

Educationspeak: At your company, do you have a roadmap for helping academic institutions make the best use of AI? Other than the well-known plagiarism checker. Any other initiatives you would like to tell readers about?

Chaitali Moitra: At Turnitin, our portfolio innovation strategy focuses on protecting academic integrity while embracing avenues for accelerating assessment and revolutionizing learning. We recently announced Turnitin Clarity, a composition workspace for students to draft their writing assignments with transparency, and when permitted by the educator, receive AI-generated feedback on their writing to help improve their work. We hope within the next year, educators will be able to use the insights from AI usage in Turnitin Clarity to make pedagogical decisions.