The Hindu AI Summit 2024: ‘Students must adopt new technology for industrial adaptability’

Students must learn to adapt to new technology and equip themselves with Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills for industrial adaptability, Revathi Venkataraman, Chairperson, School of Computing, SRMIST, said in Chennai on Thursday (November 21, 2024).

Students must learn to adapt to new technology and equip themselves with Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills for industrial adaptability, Revathi Venkataraman, Chairperson, School of Computing, SRMIST, said in Chennai on Thursday (November 21, 2024).

In a fireside chat on ‘Empowering Students in the Age of AI: Skills for Tomorrow’s Innovators’ with Srinivasan Ramani, Deputy National Editor, The Hindu, as part of The Hindu AI Summit 2024, she said while the core engineering subjects are leveraging AI tools now, it is essential for engineering professionals to focus on fundamental engineering skills, such as creative thinking and problem solving. AI skills could be a complementary tool and not a replacement, she emphasised.

To a question posed by Mr. Ramani on whether AI has been incorporated in the curriculum of other disciplines, she said Gen AI and design thinking have been included in the course curriculum of all the disciplines in SRM Institutions. Students also gain hands-on experience through various multi-disciplinary projects.

Speaking about AI ethics training for students, Ms. Venkataraman said it has been interwoven into their curriculum, and that students are often questioned about the ethical interpretations of their projects. They are also guided towards contributing to sustainable development goals. Gen AI tools are now used by both students and teachers, she said.

Earlier, Mr. Ramani observed that AI has evolved beyond technology and has democratised knowledge to a wider range of people through the use of various applications.

The event is presented by the SRM Institute of Science & Technology (SRMIST) and powered by Sify, in association with Manage Engine. The Confederation of Indian Industry is the industry partner and CIO Association is the strategic partner. RetailGPT is the phygital commerce partner for the summit, Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project the healthcare partner, and LatentView Analytics the data analytics partner. Tamil Nadu Technology Hub (iTNT) has been roped in as the digital transformation partner, while Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation has come in as the skilling partner. Chennai Metro Rail is the mobility partner, and the TV partner is Puthiya Thalaimurai.