Universidad CEU San Pablo, as part of its strategy to promote the responsible use of AI, has inaugurated a new series of academic sessions, entitled 'dIAlogos,' aimed at fostering and expanding digital culture.

The series was opened by Omar Hatamleh, Senior Advisor for Artificial Intelligence and Innovation at the Goddard Space Flight Center and leader of the NASA Information Technology Strategy at NASA Headquarters. He addressed the benefits and the challenges, and made reference to regulation, following the recent provisional agreement on the future Artificial Intelligence law.

Hatamleh's presentation focused on the importance of adopting AI technology in a society where it has already been introduced, even though full implementation will not occur until 2024. "We must start conceiving highways for flying cars, and understanding a longevity that will allow humans to live to the age of 120. All this represents significant economic and social change that we must start addressing now with regulation in hand," he explained.

The expert emphasised that AI will affect all spheres, and education is no exception. "Academic institutions must be careful to adapt critical thinking to AI competencies. Today’s skills will not be enough for our students to succeed in a not-so-distant future: We must begin to prepare the CV of the future," Hatamleh noted.

Will society be able to embrace Artificial Intelligence?

Hatamleh’s presentation was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Emiliano Blasco, Vice-Rector of Strategic Planning and Digital Culture at the CEU San Pablo University. Participants included Idoia Salazar, founder and president of OdiseIA, a watchdog organisation on the social and ethical impact of AI, and Rafael Fernández, Global Director of Innovation and Ventures at Ferrovial Group.

The speakers addressed the risks, the benefits, and how the proper implementation of Artificial Intelligence should occur across the different corporate and social domains. In the words of Idoia Salazar: "We must lose our fear of Artificial Intelligence and of its destruction of jobs. AI is still perceived as a tool which will replace humans, but we need to think of it as something complementary which will allow us to carry out projects more efficiently in our companies. In fact, it will be a great ally for SMEs and startups, allowing them to compete on the same level as large corporations."

The experts concluded that society will embrace the benefits of AI if changes are made progressively, allowing the cohesion of less technological or non-technological tools with more advanced ones. According to Rafael Fernández: "All the members of a company need to try out and get to know AI, to interact with it and to understand the positives, the negatives, and the risks involved."

Omar Hatamleh emphasised that for a proper adoption of AI, "companies, in their entirety, must understand the technology and its implications, and for this, it is necessary to have an open mind and take risks. Without risks, value will not be created."

Universidad CEU San Pablo raises awareness about the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence is a tool that must always be at the service of people and cannot, and should not, replace the individual as the centre of academic and professional activity. Similarly, artificial intelligence can never and should never replace natural intelligence.

Universidad CEU San Pablo seeks the common good in our society and believes in raising awareness about the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence and denouncing malpractices in the application of these tools in the academic or social sphere.

Following the approval of the proposal by the European Commission for the regulation of Artificial Intelligence (the so-called AI act) on December 8th coupled with an awareness of the need to work together for the ethical use of this technology, The Universidad CEU San has shared with the whole university community a Manual of good practices and academic integrity in the use of artificial intelligence (AI). This manual is intended to allow teachers and students to understand the magnitude and impact of these tools and how to make ethical, responsible, and integral use of them.

This is a living document that aims to evolve in parallel with the evolution of these tools while also establishing the foundations of what AI should be and its effect on university teaching, based on the principles of Christian humanism.