We are one year into the launch of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to the public. While the common initial response from the public was often one of fear or uncertainty, more people are starting to see AI as a tool and an opportunity rather than a replacement and a threat.

According to Lightcast, a program that analyzes trends in the job market, the number of monthly job postings mentioning AI skills has increased by more than 6,600% in the past year. This already massive demand will continue to grow as AI becomes more advanced and companies understand the benefit of using programs such as ChatGPT in the workplace. With artificial intelligence skills being more in demand, it is crucial for higher education to be at the forefront of preparing students for what their future occupations will ask of them.

When people think of students using AI tools like ChatGPT, they may jump to the misguided conclusion that they would only use AI to do their work for them. This notion is incredibly limiting and doesn’t give students the credit they deserve. When students can understand the benefit of using it effectively, and learn how to use AI to brainstorm, problem solve, and think through decision making scenarios, they can work more efficiently, make difficult decisions faster and improve a company’s production output.

It is through embracing the power and potential of AI that we can equip our students with future-ready skills. Through intentional teaching strategies that guide students to think creatively about how to use AI in their work, higher education can ensure that students are on the cutting edge in terms of using advancing technologies and being workforce ready upon graduation.

Many faculty and staff at the University of Nebraska at Omaha have focused on embracing AI and learning how we can leverage AI to better prepare students for the workforce. Through panel discussions, workshops, events and AI resources such as the ChatGPT/AI Prompt Book, UNO’s Division of Innovative and Learning-Centric Initiatives is taking the lead in supporting faculty who are ready to integrate AI and help students learn how to use it effectively.

The ChatGPT/AI Prompt Book is a resource for the UNO community that demonstrates how students can use AI in their studies and how faculty can incorporate it into their courses and daily work. The goal: to teach individuals how to be better prompt engineers and develop the skills needed to utilize this emerging technology as one of the many tools available to them in the workforce.

At UNO, we are excited to see how the prompt book enables faculty to better understand how they can use AI in the classroom, teach students how to use AI for future careers and in their studies and how they can use AI to work more efficiently. We are not only dedicated to helping prepare students for the workforce, but also helping upskill our faculty so they feel empowered to utilize AI appropriately and proactively in the courses they teach.

As AI continues to advance, UNO’s Division of Innovative and Learning-Centric Initiatives will continue to not only support our campus, faculty, and students but also share effective practices and innovative ways to implement AI with the broader Omaha community. One such opportunity will be on Monday, Dec. 11, when UNO hosts the third event in its Future of Work Symposium Series entitled “Forces of Change.” This event is open to the public and will bring together leaders from different sectors to share insights into how rapid digital transformation and other post-pandemic trends are impacting the workforce and strategize opportunities to co-create solutions.

UNO is also rapidly developing a number of short-form, skills-based microcredentials. Designed primarily for the working adult, these nondegree offerings average 15-30 hours and are focused on the development of a specific competency or area of focus. In 2024, UNO plans to launch its first AI microcredential, with the intent of adding additional offerings on this topic throughout the year. More information on microcredentials at UNO is available at online.unomaha.edu.

AI is not a tool that is here to replace us; it is a tool that can help us work more efficiently, productively, and creatively. By embracing AI and working collaboratively with our community partners and employers, higher education is in a great position to deliver AI skills that the workforce demands.

This editorial was republished from the Nebraska Examiner, an editorially independent newsroom providing a hard-hitting, daily flow of news. It is part of the national nonprofit States Newsroom. Find more at nebraskaexaminer.com.