June 2023

Basic Idea on the Utilization of Generative AI in Ehime University

President Hiroshige Nishina

Currently, artificial intelligence (AI) is being discussed and tested not only by the national government, but also by many organizations, including local governments and companies. In particular, “Generative AI (AI that generates text, images, etc.),” as typified by ChatGPT, has the potential to change the state of society and the way we work, but it has also been pointed out to have various negative aspects.

I understand that a university is “an organization that is expected to create new ideas, knowledge, and technologies through academic research and to show a new way of being in society through such research. At the same time, universities are also expected to “educate students with the latest knowledge and technology, and send them out into society as talented human resources. Based on this concept, the University hopes to be an organization that positively perceives and brings out the value of all activities other than those that are clearly “not ethically good or socially meaningless”.

On the other hand, education and research, which are the main functions of universities, are both intellectual activities that use human brains, and may be strongly and seriously affected by the negative aspects of generated AI. For this reason, it is necessary to set certain conditions and considerations for the utilization of generated AI, both in education and research, and Ehime University will present specific measures from the relevant departments.

With regard to the utilization of generative AI, I believe that there will be situations in the future in which there will be two sides within the university, one that actively promotes the use of generative AI and one that expresses concern about it. I hope to fulfill my role as an “academic institution” that pursues novelty and leads society into a new era. Today, the world is in the midst of “turbulent times” in which values, social systems, and the human condition are undergoing transformation. It is precisely because we are in such a situation that we should look forward to all new things.

Ehime University would like to lead various discussions on the utilization of generative AI and play a role as a “center of knowledge in the region.