Mathematica, Wolfram Alpha and ChatGPT, Etc., Are Upon Us and They Are Powerful. How Should We Respond? A Demonstration and Discussion of Capability and Impact, Now and Into the Future.
Thursday, November 14, 2024;
10:35a - 11:35am
CBEB 001
Speaker: Dr. Hank Foley from President - New York Institute of Technology
ABSTRACT
In winter 2023, just as we were emerging from the effects of the global pandemic on higher education, ChatGPT suddenly appeared on the scene. Most of us who are not in the field of artificial intelligence were surprised by the apparent capability of this LLM (Large Language Model). Far from perfect, it was still a clear advance in natural language processing and artificial intelligence. Its simplicity of use made it beguiling, even if its output was not always accurate. In academia, students immediately embraced its use. Some faculty members were drawn to it, but others were appalled. The impact of ChatGPT on education has been and continues to be a significant disruption.
Approximately 36 years ago, Mathematica emerged as a high-level symbolic and numerical programming language with extensive graphics capability. It is used by the physics and mathematics communities. In the engineering and the chemical engineering community, it competes with MatLab, which has very similar capabilities. When it was released, Mathematica had some impact, especially among scientists and engineers, but nothing like that of ChatGPT, simply because it was a tool for doing mathematics and the user-base was much smaller. And yet, over these last three decades, Mathematica and the Wolfram programming environment have continued to expand in coverage, utility, and power. Wolfram Alpha is notable in this regard as it is a curated database that extends far beyond mathematics. Wolfram technologies have grown steadily in capability as they have taken advantage of the steady growth in processor power predicted by Moore’s law. Today, mathematical models that were once solved with considerable toil in advanced graduate coursework, and in research science/engineering, can be solved quickly and routinely with a few lines of code on desktops, laptops, and—more recently—even smartphones and tablets.
Over the last 18 to 24 months, these seemingly quite disparate technologies have come together. ChatGPT can be integrated with Wolfram Alpha for curated information and Mathematica notebooks can be chat-enabled. There is so much mathematical and computational power available now that it is not far-fetched to consider these technologies as AI-based computational assistants. In some ways, this is already a reality.
Aside from how delightful it is to be able to analyze and solve complex problems with AI assistance, and to instantly visualize the results, one wonders where this leaves what has been taught in the past. It also begs the question of how best to use AI-based tools in the education of young chemical engineers. Put another way, a key question seems to be: “How do we balance knowing how to use these technologies against knowing what these technologies are doing?” Despite the torrid pace of change, as educators, we must think through the answer to this question in engineering, mathematics, and the sciences across the curriculum.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Hank Foley, Ph.D., is the fourth president of New York Institute of Technology. He joined the Institute in June 2017 after serving as interim chancellor of the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU). A seasoned administrator and an accomplished research scientist and teacher, Dr. Foley brings to New York Tech decades of high-level experience in strategic planning, economic development, strategic collaborations, program development, and successful research funding. Before MU, Dr. Foley served as department head of chemical engineering at Penn State, associate vice president for research, dean of the College of Information Sciences and Technology, and vice president for research and dean of the graduate school. In addition, he has held faculty appointments in chemical engineering and chemistry at MU, Penn State, and the University of Delaware.
As president of New York Tech, he is committed to expanding the university’s academic and research reputation by focusing strategically on the student experience, hiring outstanding faculty members, and instilling rigorous resource management, all of which support Tech’s mission to provide professional education at the undergraduate and post-graduate level that provide the highest return on investment for students. He has instilled a leadership culture that is conducive to initiative, accountability, and a passion for New York Tech’s future communities.
Dr. Foley earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry at Providence College, a master’s degree in chemistry from Purdue University, and doctorate chemistry from Penn State. An accomplished researcher, he has spent almost 40 years advancing the study of catalysis, molecular sieving membranes, and nanotechnology. He has mentored more than 50 undergraduate and graduate thesis students and post docs, he holds 16 patents, and has written more than 200 articles and a textbook in its second edition. Dr. Foley has been recognized as a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the National Academy of Inventors. In addition, he is a member of the Cosmos Club of Washington, DC.
Hosted by: Angela Dixon, adc12@psu.edu