by Yong Soo Heong
PETALING JAYA, July 14: In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for potential job displacement is a hotly-debated topic.
The prospect of AI replacing human jobs can be daunting for many people. Especially for people whose jobs mean everything to them.
However, advocates of AI argue that those who employ AI in their tasks will undoubtedly gain a competitive edge over those who don’t, especially in the area of promotion and remuneration. And even survival.
The attraction of such productivity and research tools has surged, with a growing number of individuals keen to harness the power of AI at their workplace.
Whether we embrace it or not, AI has emerged as a game-changer in the digital age, significantly boosting productivity across diverse sectors.
AI’s ability to process vast volumes of data at breakneck speed and perform tasks round-the-clock positions it as an invaluable tool for enhancing efficiency.
Furthermore, AI’s capacity for continuous learning and improvement through machine learning algorithms allows it to refine its performance based on feedback and new data.
This ongoing learning process means that AI becomes increasingly efficient and effective, thereby augmenting productivity, even in the area of education.
This was evident in a recent training session in Petaling Jaya entitled “Leveraging Generative AI to Enhance Teacher Productivity” specifically aimed at helping teachers to stay ahead of the curve and certainly ahead of their students.
The session, conducted by Franklin Styne and Dr. Frank Xavier Arokiasamy, two specialists in Generative AI from the training division of University Book Store Malaysia (UBSM), captivated their “students” with the boundless possibilities achievable with several AI tools available on the Internet.
Styne explained to the teachers and educationists that Generative AI can now create new content such as audio, images, music, text or video, almost similar to human creations.
In this context, Styne highlighted the fact that while ChatGPT has emerged as a popular tool for Generative AI, other equally useful platforms like Copilot, Gemini, Claude, and Meta Ai ought to be explored as well.
The class was also introduced to other exciting platforms such as Diffit, Magic School, Microsoft Designer, Pixelcut, Runwayml.com, Invideo, Gamma, Glasp and Almanack.
Styne emphasised that while AI’s speed and productivity were impressive, it was also crucial for humans to maintain control and remember that AI was designed to augment human capabilities, not replace them.
This was primarily because AI lacked the human touch and the ability to understand context beyond data, empathise, and make ethical decisions, he said.
Styne underscored the importance of prompting the right response from AI tools by using the CIDO principle, where C stands for context, I for instruction, D for details, and O for output.
This was echoed by Dr Frank Arokiasamy who explained that making the right prompts was useful to elicit the most appropriate responses needed by users.
The class was also shown AI’s capability to generate essays, exam questions, and evaluate a student’s work in accordance with the targeted education level.
Styne reinforced the view that AI offered immense potential to enhance productivity through its speed, accuracy, and ability to learn.
Feedback from the class from those who had employed AI in their work previously or had learnt a number of “tools of the trade” at the training session revealed that what used to take hours can be done in a matter of minutes and with even greater accuracy.
By harnessing these capabilities, humans can create more efficient processes, make faster decisions, and free up human resources for tasks that require creativity, critical thinking, and a human touch.
The possibilities for productivity gains are indeed limitless.
Enquiries: UBSM Training Division — 0193689798, 0122146838 or 0172566275
WE