Just like you, we librarians are learning to use GenAI. But unlike you, we are interested not only in using the technology to lighten up our daily work. We are eager to watch how GenAI is changing teaching, learning, and research, and particularly, how students and scholars like you find and use information in this emerging technological environment. That’s why I invited Dr. Leo Lo from the University of New Mexico to give us this talk: “Empowering Educators through AI Literacy and Upskilling: Insights from the U.S. and UNM.”
Leo is actively working on AI literacy for librarians and speaks at numerous seminars and conferences about AI in higher education. You can view the recording of his webinar for HKUST. For me, one memorable point was his analogy projecting AI as a technological change akin to the leap from fire to electricity. Not only does electricity provide light and warmth, but it also turned out to be the foundation of almost all modern technologies. Leo mentioned how electricity enables new possibilities such as telecommunication and the internet. I would add that electricity liberates people from household chores—if you’ve ever done laundry by hand, you’ll appreciate your washing machine! It has had a tremendous impact on the workforce and social advancement.
Leo’s analogy helps me see GenAI as more than just a tool. It doesn’t only make your current tasks easier but also enables us to reimagine new possibilities. Using Leo’s words,
“Generative AI presents a foundational technology with the potential to reshape, and I think transform, pretty much all sectors, including libraries and education.”
I look forward to seeing how these reshaping and transformation unfold in HKUST!
Gabi Wong
Library Director
lbgabi@ust.hk
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