News Story

Exploring the Future of Adult Learning: The Open University’s GenAI Conference at MKAIFest

Nancy Pontika, Tuesday 5 Nov 2024

The Open University hosted the “GenAI: Adult Skills and Learning conference”, an in-person event forming part of the Milton Keynes City Council AI Festival (MKAIFest), sponsored by Infosys and with around 150 attendees. The conference was co-chaired by KMi’s Prof John Domingue and Esther Spring, showcasing the OU’s commitment to harnessing Generative AI (GenAI) to enhance educational practices. Prof Domingue also led the engaging panel “What is our end goal and how do we get there?”, steering meaningful discussions on setting strategic objectives in AI-driven education.

Pro Vice-Chancellor Ian Pickup opened the conference, which featured keynote speeches and panel discussions from leading figures, including Jacqueline de Rojas CBE (Chair of the Bletchley Park Trust, the Institute of Coding, and President Emeritus at techUK), Rose Luckin (Professor at University College London and Founder of Educate Ventures Research), Jason Till (leader of the ‘Services Industry Pod’ for AI at Infosys), Cris Bloomfield (Senior Industry Architect at Microsoft) and Rashik Parmar (Group Chief Executive of the British Computer Society). These talks emphasized empowering adult learners, addressing the skills gap, and responsibly managing the rapid development of GenAI. The conference underlined the OU’s longstanding mission to blend technology with education, as speakers explored AI’s role in both workforce training and formal education.

During the lunch break, an exhibition showcased KMi stands highlighting several projects, including the externally funded SAGE-RAI project, which aims to create an AI Digital Assistant to support teaching at the Open Data Institute, along with our own AI Digital Assistant, AI Module Writing Assistant projects, and OU Analyse. This exhibition celebrated the first anniversary of the AI Safety Summit, chaired by Rishi Sunak and attended by US Vice President Kamala Harris.

Key highlights included thought-provoking keynote sessions on the future of learning in the age of AI, discussions on human creativity versus machine capabilities, and considerations on ensuring equitable participation in AI-driven advancements. The day concluded with opportunities to network with OU staff, local government representatives, and industry leaders, including Microsoft and Infosys, fostering collaborations and sharing insights.

The event emphasized that while AI presents immense potential, a balanced approach is essential. The phrase “for the 8 billion, not 8 billionaires” resonated as a central takeaway, urging thoughtful integration of technology in education. This conference, building on the momentum of the 2023 AI Safety Summit, reinforced Milton Keynes’ position as a pivotal center for AI discourse and innovation.