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The Hindu
28-07-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
AI literacy must for teachers to ensure good use of tools by students: panel
While the deep penetration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in India is a serious concern, it could be turned into an opportunity with structured sensitisation and training programmes for both teachers and users, speakers at a panel discussion said on Monday. A way forward would be AI literacy for teachers to ensure good use of AI in educational institutions, including schools. There need to be clear guidelines developed by academics on what these tools can be used for and these guidelines should be continuously monitored, the panelists stressed. The discussion was the first of a series of dialogues started by Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education (TANSCHE), titled Uyarkalvi Uraiyadalgal, and the topic was 'Impact of Generative AI on the Future of Education and Employment'. Gayathri Devi Jayan, Indian Chapter President, Applied AI Association, said that children in the education system should be thinking more laterally rather than following a pattern. 'AI follows patterns. We are not AI, we are humans. How do we bring that into the curriculum should be the point of discussion,' she stressed. B. Ravindran, Head, Department of Data Science and AI, and Head, Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, IIT Madras, said that popular LLMs (Large Language Models) have recorded significant biases in their responses. For example, when prompted about higher education opportunities in India, 'almost 80 % of the recommendations are asking you to go to the US or to Europe; they don't recommend higher study institutions in India even though the student is asking [about] India'. There was a need to step back and think about what could be responsible use of AI in the Indian context. V. Ravindran, Director, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, said that AI was a sophisticated tool that mimics our brain and awareness on what it is and how it works should be brought to children at school level because, if used wrongly, their cognitive skills could be hampered and interpersonal relations and emotions can be affected. Industry, too, was incentivising the use of minimal resources to maximise output and, therefore, the right mix of human expertise and AI tools are required to optimise operations, said Dhinakaran Vinayagamurthy, Lead, Quantum Innovation Centre, IBM Quantum India. Data bias and quality of output in AI models, he added, was much more of a serious concern in the industry. Earlier, inaugurating the discussion series, Govi. Chezhiaan, Higher Education Minister, said that for the first time in decades, the State government this fiscal allocated Rs. 60 crore for refurbishing laboratories in higher education institutions strengthening the foundations for development of Tamil Nadu. Besides, two basic science research centres are coming in Chennai and Coimbatore at a cost of Rs. 100 crores. Delivering the keynote address, Lakshmi Narayanan, Managing Trustee, Chennai Mathematical Institute, said that based on the available data, there was a case to demand more investment in higher education from the State government. M.P. Vijayakumar, Vice-President, TANSCHE, said that in addition to the labs and the research centres, a science park would be built on East Coast Road at a cost of Rs. 100 crore and two STEM laboratories would be established in Madurai and Coimbatore at a cost of Rs. 10 crore each. P. Shankar, Higher Education Secretary, spoke. J. Innocent Divya, Commissioner, Directorate of Technical Education, and E. Sundaravalli, Commissioner, Directorate of Collegiate Education, were present.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
IIT Madras opens admissions for BTech in AI to train future tech leaders
MUMBAI: IIT Madras is preparing to create global leaders in Artificial Intelligence through its in AI Programme , with admissions for the second batch commencing in the academic year 2025-26. The NIRF #1-ranked institute has meticulously developed this undergraduate programme to provide students with essential competencies and expertise. The BTech programme, constructed to emphasise both AI fundamentals and application development, features strong industry connections through internships and undergraduate research opportunities. Graduates can pursue careers ranging from fundamental research at global technology firms to applied roles in manufacturing and healthcare sectors. The Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, which delivers this in AI course, strives to establish itself amongst the leading AI-focused educational institutions globally whilst providing guidance to government and policymakers on Data Science and AI policy matters. The programme, with course code 412L: Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics , will accept 50 students through JEE . Eligible candidates must have cleared JEE (Advanced) and can select this programme during JOSSA Counselling. Prof. V. Kamakoti , Director, IIT Madras, said, "AI and Data Analytics is an emerging area. This BTech course has a carefully evolved curriculum that is perfectly aligned with both the industry and research community needs. Many interesting challenges are in front of us and I am sure students shall immensely benefit by pursuing this course and shape their prosperous future." The programme offers substantial academic flexibility through various electives within and outside the department. Students can explore specialised areas such as Speech and Language Technology, Computer Vision, Applications in Control and Detection, and Time-Series Analysis based on their interests. Prof. B. Ravindran, Head, Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, IIT Madras, said, "Artificial Intelligence is a transformative technology. It is going to be the defining technological development, perhaps for another generation to come. WSAI allows us to synergize all the different AI and Data Science activities. We are making sure the students know enough about the fundamentals of AI so that they can pick up things on their own if they want to get into a research career. " The curriculum aims to develop expertise across various AI and data analytics aspects, providing comprehensive exposure to industrial applications. It emphasises mathematical fundamentals, Data Science/AI/ML foundations, application development, and responsible design, incorporating interdisciplinary elements. Students must undertake courses from two core areas: traditional applications and system-oriented applications of Data Science and AI. The programme includes instruction on responsible design principles in AI. The programme focuses on practical problem-solving and ethical AI implementation. It teaches students to apply data analytics and AI techniques to real-world challenges whilst ensuring fair and responsible technology deployment. The core curriculum provides comprehensive training in AI and data analytics, including fundamental subjects like linear algebra and calculus, alongside specialised topics such as machine learning, deep learning, generative AI, foundation models and reinforcement learning.
