Developing an Institutional AI Digital Assistant in an Age of Industry 5.0

Abstract

In Industry 5.0 it is essential that humans are in the loop of technology integration of industry processes. With the advancements of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), a lot of new opportunities and challenges for learning and teaching are present. Many students already use publicly available AI Digital Assistants (p-AIDA) like ChatGPT for academic purposes. However, there are concerns around the use of such p-AIDA tools, particularly in terms of academic integrity, data privacy, intellectual property, and the impact on the quality of education. Furthermore, many higher education institutions have substantial learning materials and data about students that they may not want to share with p-AIDA. Therefore, using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and following a Design-Based Research (DBR) approach, we explored the perspectives and experiences of a beta-test of an institutionally developed AIDA (i-AIDA) with 18 UK students using multiple methods and data sources (including pre-post-test, interviews, think-aloud, and prompt analysis). Our research underscores the potential benefits and limitations of in-house i-AIDA in enhancing learning experiences without compromising academic integrity or privacy, and how higher education institutions can prepare themselves for Industry 5.0.