Professor Odeh Al-Jayyousi, Professor of Innovation Policy at the Arabian Gulf University, presented a specialized lecture addressing the future of AI-enhanced education and the rapid transformations in learning styles and university education, emphasizing that universities are facing a pivotal phase that requires a redefinition of their educational and knowledge-based roles in line with the current technological revolution.

He reviewed successive waves of technological development, noting that generative artificial intelligence is undergoing rapid development and qualitative leaps, which necessitates addressing it within an integrated technological and cultural context, rather than treating it merely as isolated digital tools. He explained that the real gap facing educational institutions today is not a knowledge gap, but a design gap, which requires higher education institutions to invest in technological transformation and incorporate emerging technologies into learning methods, assessment, and data analysis.

He noted that higher education is undergoing fundamental transformations, most notably the approach to artificial intelligence as a partner that enhances human intelligence and accelerates solutions, as well as the shift from the role of a data collector to that of a creator of insights and visions. He added that the value of technology lies not only in the speed of execution but also in the depth of analysis and the quality of understanding, emphasizing that the coming phase requires leading a cultural dialogue on technology and its future implications.

He noted that the applications of generative artificial intelligence have moved beyond traditional tasks toward forecasting the future and scenario planning, pointing out that partnering with technology leads to a smarter and more conscious future. He also addressed the transformations associated with the role of faculty members, explaining that educators are no longer merely transmitters of knowledge but have become designers of solutions through understanding, empathy, problem identification, idea generation, modeling, and testing.

He called for the adoption of Bloom’s taxonomy to implement AI-supported learning, thereby enhancing skills in comprehension, application, analysis, and evaluation, noting the emergence of new trends in testing, assessment methods, monitoring, and analysis within the educational process. He also emphasized that modern teaching methods are increasingly moving toward project-based learning and solving problems related to industry and the needs of the local community.

Speaking about the relationship between humans and technology, Al-Jayyousi stressed the importance of changing the way we think about artificial intelligence and its risks and shifting from a “struggle for survival” mindset to a “journey of integration,” emphasizing that machines do not replace humans but rather give them new wings for creativity and achievement. He added that humans remain responsible for contextual judgment, inspiration, and intuition, while machines provide abundance and speed, which calls for the preparation of “intellectual designers” rather than merely skilled users of technical tools.

He concluded his lecture by emphasizing that universities must treat artificial intelligence as a digital partner that contributes to thinking, creativity, and learning, explaining that the future does not mean the end of innovation, but rather a transition to a more mature and capable level in enhancing linguistic, visual, and narrative-analytical thinking. He noted that academic institutions are currently undergoing a gradual journey in adopting artificial intelligence, beginning with exploration, then adoption, and finally reaching the stage of integration.

This lecture is part of a series of specialized lectures presented by experts from the Arabian Gulf University within the framework of the Innovation Management Program at the College of Education, Administrative and Technical Sciences. This initiative stems from the university’s commitment to keeping pace with contemporary issues and topics, and to cementing its role as a Gulf hub of knowledge, research, and academic excellence that contributes to supporting sustainable development and the advancement of Gulf societies.