Universities traditionally cultivate academic virtues that AI cannot replicate: curiosity, interpretive judgment, ethical reasoning, and the capacity to engage productively with ambiguity and uncertainty. AI can generate fluent text and useful predictions, but it does not “understand” in the way people do. As these systems are often described as if they think or create, we must question how we talk about them without overstating their abilities? And, how might universities help learners explore and shape the social, cultural, and environmental consequences of AI while keeping human insight at the centre of inquiry?The IAU 17th General Conference invites higher education leaders to engage with these reflections, to confront diverse views, and to explore how universities can articulate and leverage their distinct strengths and value, so as to renew their social contract with society in the age of AI. 

The IAU 17th General Conference will convene around 400 university leaders from more than 80 countries around the world to discuss these important questions and to inspire and shape institutional transformation. Register before 15 September to benefit from the Early Bird rate.

 

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