CSE and CEST Establish Joint Committee of Experts to Analyze Use of Generative AI in Higher Education

In the wake of the Day on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Higher Education held on May 15 at the initiative of the Minister of Higher Education, the Higher Council for Education (CSE) and the Commission for ethic in science and technology (CEST) announce the creation of a joint committee of experts who will, over the coming months, carry out work of reflection, consultation and analysis around the use of generative AIs in Higher Education.

An open and nuanced discussion indeed seems in order given the many concerns raised within higher education by recent advances in generative AIs like ChatGPT. Several stakeholders particularly deplore the lack of guidelines for the use of generative AI, particularly with regard to teaching content, teaching and evaluation, in both college and university establishments.

The joint expert committee of the CSE and the CEST will therefore have the mandate to identify and analyze the educational and ethical issues and challenges, as well as the benefits and risks associated with the current and future uses of generative AI for training. and student evaluation, as well as for teacher training in Quebec higher education institutions.

To carry out this work, the committee will be able, among other things, to count on the long-standing expertise of the CSE and the CEST with regard to the educational and ethical issues of AI and digital technology. These two organizations have been carrying out interdisciplinary reflections for several years, which certainly contribute to a better understanding of the major issues in this area and aim for more informed decision-making.

A targeted consultation with certain key players in the higher education network will also be organized to enable the committee of experts to paint a more complete picture of the situation and to take into account proposals and experiences from the field.

“In a context where artificial intelligence systems are developing rapidly and taking a prominent place in our daily lives, it is important to hold a collective reflection on the direction we want to take for the future. The consultation launched today aims, in this sense, to better understand the concerns of the main players in higher education. The latter must, more than ever, ensure that all learners have the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to evolve with digital technology while exercising their citizenship and their critical thinking in the face of the changes that the information systems will introduce. AI throughout their lives. »

Monique BrodeurPresident of the Superior Council of Education

“The joint initiative of the CSE and the CEST will certainly make it possible to take a necessary step towards the supervision of AI in higher education, in a context where the advantages associated with generative AI appear to be uncertain and the risks of harm are serious. »

Jocelyn MaclurePresident of the Commission for Ethics in Science and Technology

List of expert members of the CSE-CEST working group

• Mme Monique BrodeurPresident of the Superior Council of Education
• M. Jocelyn MaclurePresident of the Commission for Ethics in Science and Technology (CEST)
• Mr. Luc Bégin, Full Professor, Faculty of Philosophy, University Laval
• Mr. Jérémie Bisaillon, student-researcher, University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM)
• Mme Janie Brissonprofessor in the Department of Education and Pedagogy and member of the Institute of Cognitive Sciences, UQAM
• Mme Miriam Fahmymember of the CEST and advisor in knowledge transfer, Innovative territories in social and solidarity economy
• Mme Edith Gruslinteacher and researcher, Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Collège Ahuntsic
• M. Richard KhouryAssociate Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University Laval
• M. Yves Munndigital education project manager, UQAM
• M. Daniel WeinstockProfessor, Faculty of Law and Department of Philosophy, McGill University