On March 21st, the Norwegian government appointed the new committee for AI and higher education— and SLATE Director Professor Barbara Wasson is among the experts.

The Committee for Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education will provide advice on how artificial intelligence (AI) can benefit students, universities, colleges and society.

– I am very pleased to contribute to this important work, says Professor Barbara Wasson, Director at Centre for the Science of Learning & Technology (SLATE) at the University of Bergen (UiB).

Wasson brings over 35 years of experience in the use of AI in learning to the work.

– I will also draw on all the important work we have done in recent years through the UiB AI initiative and the DIGI courses at the University of Bergen. In addition, I will bring perspectives from my work in the Council of Europe Expert Group on AI in Education and the committee on Policy in Higher Education, Wasson says.

Also representing the University of Bergen in the committee is Law Professor Jan-Ove Færstad, who has been central in the work to redesign the Master's Programme of Law to make AI competence a consistent element throughout the entire education process.

Pro-Rector at the University of Bergen, Pinar Heggernes, is very pleased that two of UiB's academic staff are on the committee.

- We are proud of the AI professional communities that exist in all our faculties, and the breadth of disciplines that our AI experts come from. This is reflected in the committee, Heggernes comments.

Providing Advice to Authorities and Universities

The Committee for Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education shall provide advice to central authorities, universities and university colleges, and academic communities. Universities and university colleges have a high degree of autonomy, and academic freedom gives academic communities room to act and responsibility for educational content and organisation. The advice shall contribute to achieving set objectives for higher education.

The Committee shall:

• Provide an overall analysis of how AI affects higher education.

• Provide an analysis of the opportunities and challenges that AI entails for higher education, including the design of study programmes, teaching and learning activities, examinations, assessment, quality work, students' work habits and acquisition of Norwegian professional language.

• Provide advice on how institutions and academic communities can best relate to AI, in order to contribute to achieving set objectives for higher education with efficient use of resources.

• Provide advice on how institutions and academic communities can guide students in using AI.

• Advise state authorities on how they should exploit the opportunities and solve challenges with AI in higher education and what measures should be implemented, if any.