Anthology Research Reveals Positive Approval of AI in Saudi Universities
Survey reveals 49 percent of students in Saudi Arabia feel that artificial intelligence (AI) will revolutionise education
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: November 2, 2023 – Anthology, a leading provider of education solutions that support the entire learner lifecycle, today announced the results of its 2023 global research study: Comparing Global University Mindsets and Student Expectations. Findings revealed 49 percent of students attending universities in Saudi Arabia feel that artificial intelligence (AI) will transform teaching and learning methods.
More than 5,000 higher education leaders and current students from countries around the world, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United States, Brazil, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, participated in the survey.
Findings revealed that students in Saudi Arabia are among the most frequent users of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, with 32 percent saying they use the tools weekly. Their adoption of AI is more than three times that of their peers in the United States and the United Kingdom. And this trend is likely to continue as students in Saudi Arabia also reported the highest likelihood that their use of generative AI tools will increase significantly in the next six months.
Students in Saudi Arabia also lead the charts when it comes to AI chatbots. The survey revealed that 47% of the students reported being very comfortable with using AI chatbots to get quick answers to their questions, the highest rate among profiled countries. Their comfort is in stark contrast with that of students in the UK, where only 13% reported being very comfortable using the technology.
When asked what role AI will play in higher education, Saudis are upbeat about the collaborative potential of AI, with 51 percent saying they believe AI will enhance students' engagement and interactivity. They also cite the role it can play in providing personalized learning experiences.
“Personalised learning experiences remain the sought-after goal for educators worldwide. By understanding the needs of each student, teachers can target the areas that require focus and boost productivity,” said Bruce Dahlgren, chief executive officer at Anthology. “I’m excited to see students embracing AI and the opportunities it can deliver to support them on their learning journey.”
Globally, students and leadership have mixed views on the role of AI in higher education, with students viewing them as revolutionary tools. The majority of students feel comfortable using AI chatbots, and universities are beginning to use them for academic and non-academic queries.
A third of the university leaders in Saudi Arabia acknowledged AI could create new challenges to identifying plagiarism, however they also cited a number of areas where AI tools could positively impact higher education, mainly focused on increasing efficiencies for the instructors such as assisting in course building (32%) and drafting assessment questions (31%).
"We are still at the early stage of understanding all of the different ways AI will impact education,” continued Dahlgren. “As a pioneer in applying advanced technology in education, including AI, the enthusiastic endorsement from Saudi students and university leadership is highly encouraging. It demonstrates a region where schools are ready to adopt AI to enrich student experiences and deliver much better outcomes."
Anthology recently announced a host of new features facilitated by artificial intelligence, including AI Design Assist, a tool that helps instructors create more engaging learning experiences more quickly in Anthology's Learning Management System, Blackboard Learn Ultra. All product features that leverage AI are developed following Anthology’s Trustworthy AI program and commitment to responsible, lawful and ethical use of AI.
Anthology will showcase these new AI features and other advancements in their portfolio of EdTech solutions at Anthology Together Middle East in Riyadh, 13-14 November.
Download the full report, AI in Higher Ed: Hype, Harm, or Help, Spotlight on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
About Anthology
Anthology offers the largest EdTech ecosystem on a global scale for education, supporting more than 150 million users in 80 countries. With a mission to provide dynamic, data-informed experiences to the global education community through Anthology Intelligent Experiences™, we help learners, leaders and educators achieve their goals by offering over 60 SaaS products and services designed to advance learning. Discover more about how we are fulfilling our mission for education, business and government institutions at www.anthology.com.