Artificial intelligence (AI) has become one of the most disruptive technologies of our time, transforming the way we live, work and relate to each other. From its applications in health, education and industry to its influence on communication and decision-making, AI poses unprecedented opportunities, but also ethical and social challenges. Ignacio Evangelista, coordinator of the Artificial Intelligence Degree at the Universidad Nacional de Rosario, discussed the importance of understanding this technology and its implications.
The introduction of AI-based language models designed to generate texts and hold conversations with people —such as ChatGPT— has brought about a significant change in the way we interact, search, learn about and access information. These tools quickly became popular and began to be used in a variety of everyday tasks, from creating simple instructions, such as step-by-step instructions for a cooking recipe, to more complex activities, such as writing reports, programming or learning new knowledge.
Its versatility and adaptability not only transform people's relationship with technology, but also raise questions about the impact of AI on daily life, work, and education. “Since the course, we have proposed that these types of languages be used in several subjects. That was at the end of 2022, just when Chat GPT launched its first version. That is why we decided to deal with it, study how it works, and encourage its use as a learning tool for programming. We try to make it possible for students to use this tool in their learning process,” Evangelista explained.
In January of this year, a new technological revolution took place with the launch of DeepSeek, an app of Chinese origin that has become a serious threat to many of the American technological giants since it is an open source proposal that also has a free online version that allows unlimited queries. “In terms of technology, DeepSeek is essentially the same, it performs the same function, and the work was put into optimizing the way it is done to try to lower costs, lower processing times and lower computational requirements,” he explained.
The specialist highlighted that this new application innovatively addresses the challenge of reasoning, a limitation present in traditional language models, which until now focused solely on language manipulation. “These systems could summarize texts, paraphrase or write, but once they reached their maximum potential in these tasks, the question is: can they reason? DeepSeek advances in this direction through optimized computational strategies, achieving good performance and offering a novel solution for language processing. It opens up new possibilities that the rest of the systems are incorporating to remain competitive within the market.”
However, the launch of this tool has not come without controversy: Italy was the first country to block its use and Texas has become the first US state to ban the app due to potential national security risks. In line with this, Republican Senator Josh Hawley introduced a bill that would ban Americans from using the app or interacting with other artificial intelligence technologies created in China, with fines of up to $100 million for individuals and up to $20 million for companies, as well as possible prison sentences of up to XNUMX years.
If passed into law, the US would become the second country to introduce a full ban on the app, though others have already implemented partial bans or have said DeepSeek is being scrutinised by regulators. “Ever since the first AI app came out, everyone knew there was going to be some kind of strong discussion, regarding issues of plagiarism, intellectual property, how it influenced certain contexts such as school, for example. And when we thought we were more or less getting settled, the geopolitical dimension appears, because until now it was a Western monopoly, and now suddenly a new competitor appears. In fact Alibaba, which is another of the companies, also launched its model, which claims it is better than the others. It is a battle that has only just begun.”
The professor pointed out that the European Union is the scenario where the regulation of artificial intelligence applications is most intensely debated, although it is a global concern that has also generated progress in our country. “It is a dimension that we cannot ignore. In the course, in some introductory subjects, we seek to bring together a lawyer to provide an updated overview of the state of regulation and trends in this field.”
To avoid falling into opposite extremes, the coordinator of this training course said that the best strategy is to generate more knowledge and take ownership of these tools. “We should neither idealize nor demonize artificial intelligence. It is a technology with the potential to improve our quality of life and assist us in various tasks, but it also involves risks, such as virtual scams or identity cloning. It is essential to warn about these dangers without falling into alarmism, balancing the discussion with a realistic vision that also highlights its opportunities. The key is knowledge and learning: the more we understand these tools, the lower the risk of deception and fraud.”
A race for a future that is already present
In 2021, UNR added this new degree in line with the new training demands in the area of technology. It was the first training course in the field that was launched within a public university in the country, showing an innovative essence and responding to the demand for an emerging topic.
Almost four years later, the technical school already has its first graduates and continues to grow steadily. “We review the subjects every four months. Here, reality forces you to constantly update them, because we work with models that came out in the last six months. So, everything goes so fast that it forces you to do this in order not to be giving outdated content.”
When the course began, none of the apps that are now leaders in data processing, such as Chat GPT or Gemini, had emerged. “The artificial intelligence revolution appears at the end of 2022. We have already been in the course for a year. So, with these new releases, we had to redesign several subjects because this absolutely changed the paradigm. We had to adapt because everything is very changing.”
The Artificial Intelligence Technician’s Degree is a two-and-a-half-year course, and has a strong mathematical and programming foundation. “It is not necessary to have previously programmed or studied mathematics, it is designed for people who come straight from high school. The database part, which is programming itself, is taught in Python, and the database part is taught in SQL. We also explore the uses and pillars of artificial intelligence, which are language processing, image processing, and what is known as machine learning.”
The degree is a hybrid course, taught at the Faculty of Exact Sciences, Engineering and Surveying, and was the first at the University to incorporate educational social practices into its curriculum, which aim to ensure that students learn content from their respective professional and scientific fields through interventions in specific social situations, articulating the development of attitudes of sensitivity and social commitment. In 2021, the Higher Council approved Ordinance 751, which establishes the creation of these practices as a mandatory curricular requirement and as a pedagogical instance of situated learning, based on the conception of the territory as a space for collective construction and training and consolidation of knowledge.
“In this social practice, we seek to get students to approach schools or other institutions to bring technology closer to society, demystify its scope and provide guidelines on its responsible use. We consider this experience to be fundamental for them to be able to understand and adapt to the current context. In addition, it contributes to their job placement: our first graduates are all working in this area of knowledge.”
Journalist: Gonzalo J. García / Photographer: Camila Casero.