Page 391 - Kaleidoscope Academic Conference Proceedings 2024

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IN EDUCATION: A CROSS-SECTIONAL
STUDY AMONG COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY-LEVEL STUDENTS OF
ASSAM, INDIA

Himashree , Gourab , Dr. Aditi
1,2,3
Department of Mathematics-Statistics, Gauhati Commerce College, 781021, India

ABSTRACT 1. INTRODUCTION

Background: Artificial Intelligence is an evolving Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a branch of study which deals
technology in the education sector. In India, with the with simulation of intelligence in machines. It mainly deals
prevailing digital divide among various sections of the with the study as to how the human brain thinks, learns and
society, it is feared that a „AI Divide‟ would further works. According to the father of AI, John McCarthy, “AI
is the science and engineering of making intelligent
aggravate the situation. Objectives: This paper aims to machines, especially intelligent computer programs”. At
assess the perspective and level of awareness among early times people wondered as to whether machine could
college and university-level students in Assam, India, think and work like human beings. As such, around the year
regarding AI and to assess the association between AI 1950, a computer pioneer named Alan Turning started to
usage in academic purpose and the socio demographic examine and determine whether a computer could
characteristics of these students. Materials and Methods: demonstrate the same level of intelligence as human beings.
He introduced a test called Turing Test. In 1956 at the first-
Simple Random Sampling has been used for data collection ever AI conference, John McCarthy first developed the
from 200 respondents using a structured questionnaire. Chi term „Artificial Intelligence‟ and also the first-ever AI
square test is used for analysis. Results: Familiarity with software program was created later that year by Allen
AI and AI-related courses reveals that 14.5% is „not Newel, J.C. Shaw and Herbert Simon. The main goal of AI
familiar at all‟ and 15.5% is “very familiar” with AI and its is to create an expert system and also to implement human
usage. 7% have undergone AI-related courses, indicating a intelligence in machines.
potential gap in AI education. Male students show a 1.1 Uses of AI
significantly higher usage of AI for academic purposes In modern times, AI has emerged as one of the most
compared to female students in Assam. Urban students evolving technologies which encompasses various sub
exhibit a significantly higher usage of AI compared to rural fields, including machine learning and deep learning,
students. Literacy level of parents and the monthly income thereby performing complex tasks that historically only a
of parents do not show a significant association with AI human could perform, as far as reasoning, making decisions
usage among students in Assam. Students who are more or solving problems is concerned. AI is extensively used in
familiar with AI tend to use it more for academic purposes. the following fields:
Whether students have undergone any AI related course
does not significantly influence their usage of AI for 1.1.1 AI in Gaming: AI is used in gaming industries.
academic purposes. There are many automatic games like chess, poker, carom
etc where machines are playing with humans. Machine can
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Simple Random
think large number of possible moves and can play against
Sampling, p-value, Chi square test.
humans.
1.1.2 AI in natural language processing: AI can provide
digital assistance or virtual assistance like Alexa, Siri, etc
whereby machines can understand human languages.

978-92-61-39091-4/CFP2268P @ITU 2024 – 347 – Kaleidoscope