Students learning AI to gain 'a competitive edge'

Lecturer Dr Ben Siu says AI Is a tool to help students be more creative

University of Plymouth students say they hope learning how generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) works will give them a "competitive edge" to help boost their careers.

Business and Marketing students were given lessons on how to use AI software to automate certain tasks.

The generative AI software allowed users to ask questions, put in prompts and generate text, pictures, sound and video in response, using data from the internet.

Students were taught various techniques including how to make their own podcasts or social media posts by putting in the correct prompts for certain data.

University of Plymouth students felt the classes were a "safe space" to learn AI skills

Lecturer Dr Ben Siu said the use of AI could give his students a headstart once they entered the work environment.

"AI will speed up processes they do in their jobs, challenge them, giving alternative perspectives, it allows them to do their jobs more efficiently," he said.

"If you wanted to start your own business, traditionally you would need to hire multiple people, potentially those people can be replaced with AI," said Mr Siu.

He said the students were taught not to rely on AI but to use it as a tool to help them be more creative.

He added: "People are taking the drudgery out of their everyday tasks and they are automating those, allowing them to concentrate purely on the tasks which they enjoy the most, the creative aspects of thinking."

'New and shocking'

Student Hannah Kelk believed the lessons would give her "a competitive edge".

"I used to be somebody who didn't like AI," she said.

"I thought it would limit my job opportunities but it was a lack of knowledge that caused me to be intimidated by it and avoid using it."

Another student, Katie Lee, said: "It's made me grateful that we're learning it now because people in the corporate world, at the moment, they're learning it, and it's something quite new and shocking.

"Whereas here at the university we're getting accustomed to it in a safe learning space."