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.