A conference titled “Artificial Intelligence and New Horizons” was held at MAKÜ

Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ) Faculty of Education organized a conference titled “Use of Artificial Intelligence in Academia and Future Predictions: Artificial Intelligence and New Horizons” at Lavanta Tepesi Hotel. The event, which attracted great interest from academics and students, comprehensively addressed the transformative impact of artificial intelligence in education.

The opening speech of the conference was made by the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof. Dr. Firdevs Savi Çakar. Emphasizing that artificial intelligence has become a powerful transformation tool reshaping many areas from social life to the business world, especially educational processes, Çakar said:

“Artificial intelligence is no longer just a subject of the technology field; it is at the center of education with its pedagogical and ethical dimensions. We must redesign our teacher training processes with a technology-compatible, data-driven, and innovative approach. The teacher of the future should be an expert who can read AI-supported learning analytics, has high ethical sensitivity, and can add pedagogical value to technology.”

Stating that artificial intelligence, seen as a tool to enhance the teacher's impact rather than replace the teacher, offers opportunities in education, Çakar thanked all the academics who contributed to the program.

The development and future of artificial intelligence were explained

MAKÜ Faculty of Engineering-Architecture Lecturer Assoc. Dr. Onur Sevli gave a presentation on the historical development, basic concepts, and current applications of artificial intelligence. Stating that artificial intelligence is not a new technology as assumed, Sevli expressed that large masses have become acquainted with this concept especially thanks to tools like ChatGPT.

Sevli, saying “ChatGPT is a product; however, artificial intelligence is not a product, it is a discipline,” emphasized that healthy data is the most critical element of this technology and described the impact of artificial intelligence as “the new electricity.” Sevli also noted that perceiving artificial intelligence as a miraculous power that solves all problems is wrong, and its limits are determined by human intelligence.

Prof. Dr. Küçüksille: “Artificial intelligence literacy is a critical skill”

Isparta Süleyman Demirel University Lecturer Prof. Dr. Ecir Uğur Küçüksille, in his presentation, explained how society could be affected by the rapidly spreading effects of artificial intelligence and the possible risks. Küçüksille, drawing attention to the importance of artificial intelligence literacy, said that individuals who do not understand technology may face disadvantages in work and social life in the future.

Touching on applications like Deepfake that can be misused, Küçüksille stated that these technologies could cause serious ethical and security issues and emphasized the need to raise awareness in society.

Instead of banning technology for children, guidance should be provided

Making important warnings about the relationship of children with artificial intelligence, Küçüksille expressed that excessive automation could negatively affect young people's thinking and problem-solving skills if not properly guided. Emphasizing the importance of guidance instead of prohibition, Küçüksille reminded that countries like China and the USA provide technology literacy education from an early age.

The conference ended with the presentation of Certificates of Appreciation to the speakers.