The Changing Role of Higher Education in the Era of AI-based GPTs

Purpose: Technology has become an increasingly important tool in solving social and economic problems. Advents in technology are changed many aspects in the education sector. Ubiquitous education technology offered an alternative way of providing education anytime, anywhere, and any amount of time thereby reducing both the cost and time spent on higher education. It also increases the quality of education and made it affordable to everyone. Currently, the use of AI-based GPYs changed the game further, and by providing ubiquitous global information, GPTs can change the higher education model further. In this paper, we have made an exploratory analysis on how AI-based GPTs are affecting the conventional model of education both offline & online. Findings: There is a paradigm shift in the focus of the objective of higher education. Earlier the focus was on learning skills by information identification, information collection, understanding, and applying to solve problems. Now after the availability of AI-based GPTs, the focus is shifted to the use of research skills like Information analysis, comparison, evaluation, interpretation, and creation /generation to identify new problems along with their optimum solution. Originality/Value: The paper compares the changing role of higher education from learning skill focus to research skill focus due to the advent and free availability of AI-based GPTs to HE stakeholders. Type of Paper: Exploratory study.