Diving into DeepSeek and AI for education

Photo: Reuters

WHILE recent conversations about the China-developed artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot DeepSeek have primarily centred around the global business community’s apprehensions about tech valuations, a more profound transformation is quietly taking place in higher education: Universities are grappling with an existential crisis as AI tools like DeepSeek challenge their foundational principles.

The integration of AI in education is often framed as a tale of progress characterised by efficiency, personalisation, and democratisation. Beneath this narrative, however, lies a more intricate reality. AI acts as both a mirror and a disruptor, challenging the very foundations of learning and knowledge.

For centuries, universities have functioned as exclusive gatekeepers of knowledge, but this monopoly is eroding. AI is democratising access to information. Currently, formal university participation stands at just 42% globally, with rates below 20% in developing regions compared with over 70% in Western countries. This disparity highlights how traditional institutions have maintained educational inequities. Today, AI tools dispute their monopoly over knowledge distribution and intellectual advancement.

The economic picture presents a compelling narrative: since the 1980s, global aggregate tuition costs have skyrocketed by nearly 1,500%, while HolonIQ (the global data platform for the climate, education, and healthcare markets) predicts that the AI-driven edtech market is projected to reach US$404bil (RM1.81 trillion) by 2025. This shift is not merely about cost – it reflects a growing irrelevance.

As AI transforms industries, universities risk obsolescence. The rigid frameworks that once defined academic success are yielding to more adaptable approaches to learning.

The disconnect between academic training and labour market needs is starkly illustrated by the origins of DeepSeek in China, where around 80,000 PhD graduates enter the job market annually yet struggle to find relevant employment. The era of universities as mere “internship factories” is over; the traditional model that linked degrees and technical skills to guaranteed career success is collapsing.

In Malaysia, the repercussions of AI are unmistakable. Senator Sivarraajh Chandran highlighted a Human Resources Ministry study predicting 4.5 million job losses post-AI by 2030, presented during the Dewan Negara’s deliberation on the Supply Bill 2024.

Despite efforts like the RM20mil AI Studies Centre at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, the overall incorporation of AI in our universities remains limited. Most institutions restrict AI to specific IT modules, lacking interdisciplinary research and collaboration, while very few faculties support academics’ subscriptions to AI tools like GPT engines, resulting in widespread institutional inertia.

AI disregards tenure and titles. The traditional notion of the professorial “expert” is fading as AI can rapidly analyse vast datasets and synthesise ideas. At Davos, the World Economic Forum’s Stanford AI Index (2024) underscores the necessity for educational institutions to adapt or face obsolescence. Professors must transition from lecturing to mentoring, guiding students through information overload while cultivating critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability.

DeepSeek illustrates AI’s potential to decolonise education by challenging Western-centric curricula and amplifying marginalised voices. By translating and curating underrepresented perspectives, DeepSeek confronts colonial legacies and disrupts entrenched educational disparities. Its role in bridging these gaps positions it as a catalyst for a more equitable and interconnected educational future.

The myth of “world-best universities” is diminishing. Talent and innovation rather than institutional pedigree are becoming the new global currency. What truly matters now is not institutional prestige but the quality of professors and the learning environments they foster.

In this pivotal DeepSeek moment, the future of our universities depends on their accountability and how they evolve rapidly to remain relevant. The choice before us is clear: evolve or be overshadowed by innovation we once claimed to master. This isn’t the conclusion of higher education; it’s a new beginning.

DR SYED ALWEE ALSAGOFF

Fellow

National Council of Professors