Susan Sterrett Raises Concerns About University’s AI Relationships

Title: Navigating the Complex Terrain of University Tech Partnerships: A Close Look at Anthology and Microsoft

In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education technology, the intertwining relationships between universities and major tech entities, such as Anthology—Blackboard’s parent company—and Microsoft, are coming under scrutiny. Recent discussions within academic circles have raised important issues about the implications of these partnerships, particularly as they relate to data privacy, authorship rights, and cybersecurity.

One prominent voice in this conversation is Susan Sterrett, a distinguished Faculty Senate member from the philosophy department. During a deferred talk, her reservations about the university’s ties with these tech giants and the deployment of their artificial intelligence (AI) models were expressly articulated.

Sterrett elucidated several points of concern: ensuring students’ data remains secure and private, safeguarding the intellectual property rights of faculty members over their creative works, and bolstering defenses against the ever-looming threat of cyberattacks. The essence of these apprehensions is not just hypothetical; they reflect a deeper apprehension about the opacity and accountability of prominent players in the educational technology sector.

Taking Anthology as a case in point, this privately-held enterprise operates under a veil of secrecy when it comes to financial and operational transparency. This presents a stark contrast compared to Instructure, the company behind Canvas, which as a public entity offers more visibility into its workings.

Moreover, Sterrett spotlighted OpenAI, the AI research entity behind marvels like ChatGPT, emphasizing the organization’s voracious need for content to reinforce the intelligence of its AI systems. She expressed unease over OpenAI’s, and by extension its CEO, Sam Altman’s, approach toward accumulating vast quantities of data—a process that could potentially encroach upon the realm of academic content and personal privacy.

In response to these concerns, John Jones, the indefatigable executive director of the Media Resources Center, has been at the forefront of clarifying the university’s distinctive agreements with Anthology and Microsoft’s AI projects. The contracts that bind these relations are unique to the institution and not reflective of the more general terms available to the public.

Jones further elaborated on the historical precedents, highlighting the financial considerations when the university contemplated moving to Canvas back in 2016—deciding eventually that the cost was prohibitive. The commitment has since deepened with Blackboard Ultra, rendering any switch now an even more costly and complex undertaking, making it difficult to maintain service quality if they transitioned away from Blackboard.

The university’s stewardship of digital resources extends through a dedicated data management committee responsible for the evaluation of new software and tools. This body takes on the pivotal role of regularly reviewing software vendor relationships during contract renewal phases, ensuring the alignment of these services with university standards and ethics.

Further assuaging security and privacy fears, Jones clarified that the university has leveraged seven generative AI tools within Blackboard. These tools are exclusively accessible to faculty members, and importantly, the data involved is not channeled into training Microsoft’s AI models.

As the academic community continues to scrutinize the use of advanced technologies like AI images generator, artificial intelligence generated images, and AI video generator on campus, the forthcoming Faculty Senate meeting, slated for April 9 at 3:30 p.m. in Woolsey Hall 110A, is anticipated to be a pivotal moment for these discussions.

In an era marked by the latest ai news & ai tools, these partnerships’ potential benefits and pitfalls demand informed debate and conscientious governance. With such rich discourse, the university community can collectively navigate the complex waters of technological advancement, ensuring that academic integrity, data privacy, and security remain paramount.