UNAIR NEWS Artificial Intelligence (AI) is advancing rapidly each year. In fact, many believe that in the near future, AI could take over the roles of educators攊ncluding teachers and university lecturers攁s access to knowledge and information becomes increasingly seamless through AI-driven platforms.
Addressing this issue, Professor Dr. Tuti Budirahayu, Dra., M.Si., a leading scholar in Educational Sociology at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), (UNAIR), shared her insights. She emphasized that the evolution of technologies like AI is both natural and unavoidable.
淲e can檛 escape technological and informational progress攊t檚 not realistic to reject it entirely. Instead, we must learn to embrace it, understand it more deeply, and seek ways to develop and use it wisely. That said, we must also stay grounded in our identity as human beings, she explained.
Supportive tool
In the context of modern education, Prof. Budirahayu stressed that as intelligent beings, humans should view AI strictly as a tool. 淚f we檙e afraid AI might replace us as teachers and lecturers, I believe that fear is a bit na茂ve. If we start depending entirely on robots or AI, we risk losing our own human essence, she said.
Despite AI檚 impressive capabilities, Prof. Budirahayu maintains that it should be used as a support system, not a substitute. Humans must remain in control and use AI thoughtfully. 淎I can certainly serve as a guide, but it檚 up to us to turn that guidance into something more meaningful攕omething with soul, she noted.
Educator competence
As AI continues to evolve, Prof. Budirahayu emphasized that educators, too, must keep learning and growing. 淗umans have been given the ability by God to learn and adapt. We should continue evolving攏ot remain idle just because AI is available. It檚 essential that we keep seeking knowledge from various sources and engage with others, she said.
She believes that as humans gain more life and professional experience, their capacity for critical thinking also grows. 淲ill AI ever match that? I don檛 think so. What we really need is a strong sense of curiosity and a desire for continuous learning, she added.
Prof. Budirahayu also believes that experienced educators play a vital role in filtering and contextualizing the vast amount of information available to students. 淚t檚 a shared learning experience. Senior educators bring wisdom from years of experience, while younger ones contribute fresh knowledge. We should work together, she said.
Although the rise of AI presents challenges, Prof. Budirahayu hopes that educators will remain committed to enhancing their skills and not become overly dependent on technology. 淭hat檚 our challenge攚e can檛 remain static. We must continue to grow and avoid becoming reliant on AI. Because if our work lacks the human element, it ultimately lacks substance, she concluded.
Author: Mohammad Adif Albarado
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
