AI, Large Language Models and Data Protection | 18/07/2024
University Of Pittsburgh At Johnstown Seminar Covers Ethics, Uses Of AI
(TNS) — The field of artificial intelligence is growing exponentially, with a similar cultural impact to the advent of the Internet, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown assistant professor of digital humanities Mark DiMauro told area high school students Wednesday.To help explore the subject, he organized the AI for Everyone seminar for students to examine the ethics and applications of the technology.
"I'm hoping to give you some insight of what the very, very near future will be," he said.
Dozens of students from Greater Johnstown and Somerset Area high schools took part in the event, hearing from humanities, computer science and cybersecurity professionals."I really liked seeing how they brought into light how much it's being used," Somerset junior Dean Clark said.
He wants to pursue a career in computer science and was interested to hear about potential jobs in AI that the speakers discussed.
Sha'Kia Young, a Greater Johnstown senior, said listening to the panelists put the pieces of AI together Wednesday was a "great experience."She's dabbled with artificial intelligence in her English class and said she's interested in the subject, especially the way companies augment their business practices with it.
DiMauro provided a background on artificial intelligence's growth throughout the past five years and where the field may go in the next five years, and provided a series of questions about its uses, copyright issues and related matters.
He said society is on a technological precipice that, once it goes over, no one can come back from.
However, he added the caveat that just because AI is inevitable does not make it ubiquitous.
Maryl McGinley, a UPJ assistant communications professor who presented, said it's important to have these conversations, especially with the next generation who are growing up with AI.
She spoke to the group about the significance of the humanities, displaying marketing materials for Beach Plum Farm and Congress Hall, while associate computer science professor Jim Bilitski demonstrated the potential use of AI with a college and university search tool he helped create.
Bilitski showed the students that generative AI can be helpful with routine tasks, such as searching for a post-secondary institution using campusmatch.Ai that students can chat with to explore parameters of schools they're interested in.
Similar tools were discussed by cybersecurity professional Jacob Manotti, who discussed the ability of AI-enhanced camera systems to track and identify parties of interest as well as programs to prevent email phishing schemes.
Despite highlighting the advancements of this technology, each of the speakers stressed that AI should be used to assist a person's life, not automate it.
"At the end of the day, it's just data, curiosity and math," Manotti said.
To wrap up the gathering, the panelists opened the floor for students to ask questions.
Although the conclusion was slow to start, soon the group was having a lively discussion on the subjects presented.
DiMauro said that aspect was fantastic.
"I love the fact that they were so engaged because that means they are future-focused," he said.
©2025 The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Artificial Intelligence Revolution In Higher Education: What You Need To Know
The Artificial Intelligence revolution is transforming higher education at an unprecedented pace, offering innovative opportunities to personalize university learning experiences, support professors and researchers in their daily tasks, and optimize the management of educational institutions.
Explore the report Artificial Intelligence Revolution in Higher Education: What You Need to Know. This innovative document brings together the main advances driven by artificial intelligence (AI), a powerful tool that offers practical solutions:
Higher education in Latin America and the Caribbean requires urgent and creative actions to overcome the challenges affecting millions of university students in the region. Our goal is to provide the necessary tools to ensure that institutions and students make the most of the opportunities offered by AI. The report highlights areas such as:
This report is part of the Digital Innovations in Education for Latin America and the Caribbean series.These academic studies and reports are designed to maximize the use of technology and encourage the effective application of digitalization in education.
Find the report here
When Tech Meets Trust: Two Education Interventions That Actually Work
A female Johns Hopkins University student studies in the Brody Reading Room at the Brody Learning ... More Commons with her laptop and notebooks in front of her with red headphones around her neck at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 2013. Courtesy Eric Chen. (Photo by JHU Sheridan Libraries/Gado/Getty Images).
Getty ImagesIn the discourse around artificial intelligence in education, we often hear two opposing narratives: AI will either revolutionize learning by making it more personalized and accessible, or it will dehumanize education by replacing the essential human connections that foster growth. But what if both narratives miss the mark?
While many edtech tools promise to automate human limitations, two organizations—Matriculate and Mainstay—are demonstrating a potentially more powerful and nuanced path; using technology to elevate what only humans can do.
Beyond The False DichotomyMatriculate addresses a critical yet often overlooked problem in college access: Many high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds never apply to the selective colleges they're qualified to attend—a phenomenon known as undermatching. CEO Bryden Sweeney-Taylor explains that Matriculate bridges this gap by connecting students with trained near-peer mentors; college students from similar backgrounds who recently navigated the admissions process. Through virtual one-on-one advising, these relationships help students gain confidence, raise their aspirations, and submit stronger applications.
Mainstay (formerly AdmitHub) takes a different but complementary approach. Founder and CEO Drew Magliozzi describes its mission as supporting students at scale during the admissions process and beyond through AI-powered conversations without ever losing sight of the human element. He likens AI to "an Iron Man suit for gifted educators": Technology provides real-time nudges and guidance, while human advisors intervene at key moments with empathy, accountability, and insight.
Both organizations reveal the same truth: When used thoughtfully, technology can become a force multiplier for connection, not a substitute for it. Their models suggest that the future of education isn't a choice between human or machine—it's the strategic blending of both.
Matriculate's Near-Peer RevolutionA peer-to-peer advising model, Sweeney-Taylor notes, is powerful because "it's putting a set of institutions on those high school students' radars that wouldn't necessarily be there initially." When students hear from someone who has just been through the process, who shares a similar background, and who is succeeding at a top institution, that personal connection inspires and supports them in ways that generic resources can't.
What makes Matriculate's approach especially compelling is how technology enables these relationships to transcend geography. "All of our interactions between advising fellows and high school fellows happen virtually," says Sweeney-Taylor. "We use video chat, document sharing, texting, phone calls, and email. From the start, that's allowed us to reach students nationwide, especially in areas where few college access resources exist."
This virtual reach enables Matriculate to serve more than 3,500 students annually and, since its founding, over 20,000 students total. According to the organization, participants are 30% more likely to enroll in selective colleges compared to similarly qualified peers without access to near-peer advising. (This figure is based on internal outcomes data; readers are encouraged to visit Matriculate's website for more detail on the methodology.)
Mainstay's Human-in-the-Loop DiscoveryWhile Matriculate uses technology to enable human connections, Mainstay deploys AI conversations at scale to support students through critical transitions. But they've made a fascinating discovery: AI alone isn't enough.
"It turns out that human in the loop, even just a little bit of the time, actually triples the outcomes that we get. So without the human, we're about one-third as effective," Magliozzi revealed.
This finding came from what Magliozzi described as "the most important research study we ever did... The one that had the least impact." In this study, they removed the human oversight component that normally accounts for just 2% of their interactions. The results were enlightening.
The paradox they identified is that "our greatest strength is also our greatest weakness when it comes to AI interventions with students," said Magliozzi. "The greatest strength they all tell us is, 'I felt like I could be vulnerable with this thing because I could tell it things about me and I didn't feel judged.'"
But that same lack of judgment creates less accountability. "If I tell an AI chatbot, I promise I'm going to file that paperwork by next Tuesday, I'm a lot less likely to do it if my actual advisor is not privy to the conversation as well," Magliozzi explained.
This insight has shaped how Mainstay designs its systems, ensuring human advisors are alerted at critical moments – like when a student mentions dropping out – even if AI handles the majority of routine interactions.
The Power Of AugmentationBoth organizations have landed on a similar fundamental principle: Technology should augment rather than replace human connection in education. This approach recognizes that while AI can provide information and answer questions around the clock, certain aspects of education require human presence.
As Magliozzi put it: "The job of educator has always been both to be the subject matter expert and be the empathic motivator who has a deep caring and connection to the student. Interestingly enough, AI actually affords the ability to make the subject matter expertise the scalable, infinitely available thing and creates the opportunity for anyone who has a deep relationship with a student to play that role exceptionally well."
Both organizations reveal the same truth: When used thoughtfully, technology can become a force multiplier for connection, not a substitute for it.
And the results speak for themselves.
Matriculate has supported over 20,000 high-achieving, low-income students since its founding. According to the organization, students who complete the program are 30% more likely to enroll in a selective college compared to similarly qualified peers without access to near-peer advising.
Mainstay's AI-powered messaging platform has reached over 10 million students across more than 200 institutions, supporting outcomes like increased FAFSA completion rates, improved first-year retention, and higher class attendance. In one randomized control trial, institutions using Mainstay's platform saw a 3.3 percentage point increase in college enrollment among nudged students compared to a control group.
These measurable gains underscore what their leaders already know: When technology amplifies human care and judgment, students thrive.
Lessons For Educational InnovationThese insights remind me of what I've observed in my own work with students: The most important moments in education often aren't about information transfer but about presence, belief, and human connection. Whether it's a college advisor helping a student navigate the emotional complexity of leaving home or a professor noticing a student's hidden potential, these profoundly human moments can't be automated away. However, they can be preserved and amplified by thoughtful technology.
What can other educators and institutions learn from these approaches? Several principles emerge:
As we navigate the rapidly evolving educational technology landscape with the advent of AI, these organizations offer a refreshing perspective to the often-contentious discourse about AI's role in education. They demonstrate that the most powerful approach isn't choosing between technology and human connection, but thoughtfully integrating both.
In the process of exploring AI's capabilities, we would do well to remember what these organizations have discovered: Technology works best when it amplifies our humanity rather than attempting to replace it.
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