In recent years, the business landscape has witnessed a revolution powered by artificial intelligence (AI). This cutting-edge technology has transcended its status as a buzzword to become an indispensable asset in the corporate world. It's not just about automation; it's about augmenting human capabilities, enhancing productivity, and unleashing creativity. At Qwasar, we've embraced this revolution and integrated AI into various facets of our operations, creating a blueprint for what's possible when humans and machines work in harmony.
AI is not just about efficiency; it's about unlocking the hidden potential within our teams. It empowers our employees to do more, do it better, and do it with creativity. The promise of AI lies in its ability to redefine how we work and think. We'll unveil how AI has elevated productivity, fostered innovation, and reshaped our perspectives on work-life balance.
Marketing, Artwork, and Creativity
1. Assisting with writing blog posts
In the realm of content creation, where words are currency, AI has become a game-changer. At Qwasar, we were harnessing the power of AI long before ChatGPT, Bard, and other LLMs came out to assist in crafting compelling blog posts. These tools have certainly expedited our content creation process and editing process, freeing us to do other things.
2. Creating artwork for brochures
We wanted to explore what AI can do creatively, and to what point it can help us improve our visuals or just make them more engaging. And when it comes to marketing materials like brochures, aesthetics matter. We tried multiple image and illustration generators, and then tested how our community liked or disliked the results. We tried generating visually stunning and captivating artwork that enhances the appeal of our marketing materials or program information brochures. Here's an example:
Program Curricula
Obviously, we've already had an AI track for years, but we decided to try using AI to help us generate and improve our programs from a content point of view. It's a challenge - and the question was whether various LLMs could keep up with learning science and maintain best practices. So we experimented with different areas as follows:
3. Generating new project descriptions
By leveraging AI, we created a wealth of project scenarios based on prompts to create potential projects for our students in real-world problem-solving. The generated content was then reviewed by our academic team, adjusted, and tested. We found that LLMs were a useful tool for content generation and it streamlines the curriculum development process and reduced track development time by 50%, allowing us to keep our courses up-to-date in real-time.
4. Generating scenario narratives for specific case study ideas
We're probably one of three colleges that uses engineering case studies as a key learning tool for helping learners prepare for different scenarios on the job. Previously, we manually wrote case studies, but AI has revolutionized the process of generating scenario narratives for these case studies. We can swiftly and effectively develop rich and complex scenarios that engage our students in critical thinking and decision-making, BUT you have to know how to prompt well. You still need to know your subject areas very well, and set up the dynamics of the case study for it to work well.
5. Code autocorrection
Thus far, we've talked a lot about LLMs, but Qwasar has been using AI and algorithms for years, long before LLMs came to be. This more "traditional" AI has been core to our learning platform since we launched. Our CTO has led the development of various AI-based proprietary tools:
Gandalf, our Lead Testing Engineer
Just like any engineering team, we have a lead tester, and all code must pass through him for final approval. But don’t worry when you first start Gandalf is right there with you. He will be there to help test your code and point out possible mistakes. But as you continue on your path, he will only be there to tell you. Your code shall not pass.
Gimli, our Built-in Linter
Gimli analyzes code to identify programming mistakes, errors, style issues, and questionable formatting. He ensures code fits the universal norm, like an English style guide. For example, when on the job, code won’t be pushed to production unless it respects the norm 100%.
This real-time correction and guidance save valuable time and empower students to learn through practical application.
6. For creating an LLM Learning Track
Yes, we use LLMs to create a learning track to learn to use LLMs. The demand for machine learning engineers with experience using LLM APIs has skyrocketed, thus, we’re adding a track to our curriculum to help train more ML engineers in the subject.
To do so, we create projects and scenarios, some of which are written by an AI (with strong prompting from Qwasar learning engineers). But it’s useful nonetheless - we can build faster, iterate faster, and gain an edge of being slightly more creative thanks to AI tools.
7. Engineering Lab Projects
Our new Engineering Labs (a huge hit among the student body) require real-world subjects and software projects to be built, as well as strict evaluation and grading criteria for peer code reviews and project evaluation. We use AI tools to help us generate ideas and draft scenarios, as well as to iron out details that we may not have thought about.
They are useful tools as we seek to cover innovative, modern projects across a wide tech stack in cutting-edge industries.
8. Sophisticated Cheating Detection System (Before GenAI)
Ensuring academic integrity is fundamental in our educational programs. To this end, we built a sophisticated deep algorithmic-driven cheating detection system, which again existed long before generative AI came to the mainstream.
9. For Editing and Translation
Who's not using GenAI for editing or proofreading?! Or even making email writing faster? We've discovered that it's also useful for translating materials and that our clients use it too for doing business. It's not perfect, but when working internationally, it's undoubtedly useful!
Interestingly, language translation isn’t quite there yet, so we still need the human touch on a lot of things, but it’s interesting to try nonetheless.
10. As a Small Business Assistant
Generative AI is REALLY great at making administrative tasks go faster or in helping to condense business theory and strategy into concise action options for a given scenario. It’s truly a superpower for small business owners to help us do more things faster with fewer resources. Prompting it well helps, but it can reduce time and increase impact which helps us make smarter decisions.
Two Ways We're Not Using AI
While the integration of AI has brought significant enhancements to various aspects of our operations, it's important to acknowledge that there are certain areas where we choose not to rely on AI. Here are two key areas where we maintain a human-centric approach:
1. Recruitment
We have refrained from automating the entire student recruitment process with AI because we believe that the nuanced evaluation of a prospective student's skills, potential, and alignment with our program's values is best conducted by humans. While AI can assist with initial screening and identifying potential candidates, it often falls short of fully understanding the motivations and aspirations of applicants.
Our team excels in conducting in-depth interviews, gauging a student's soft skills, and assessing their potential to thrive within our program's unique academic and community culture. This personalized, human touch remains crucial in ensuring that we admit students who not only meet our academic requirements but also share our vision and values.
2. Interaction, Support, and Community
In certain scenarios, we recognize that human presence is irreplaceable. While AI can efficiently address routine inquiries and provide immediate responses, there are situations where humans bring unparalleled value. In areas such as customer support, mentorship, and fostering a sense of community among our students and employees, human-to-human interaction is irreplaceable.
The empathetic understanding, emotional intelligence, and problem-solving capabilities of humans are critical in addressing complex and nuanced issues. Whether it's a student seeking guidance on a challenging project, an employee in need of support, or individuals coming together to build a strong sense of community, these are moments where the human touch is non-negotiable. We cherish the connections and relationships that humans foster, and we believe that AI should complement, not replace these essential interactions.
By recognizing the boundaries of AI and preserving the human element in recruitment and interactive experiences, we aim to strike a balance that optimizes the strengths of both AI and human capabilities. This approach allows us to provide the best of both worlds – the efficiency and precision of AI where it excels and the warmth, understanding, and creativity of humans where they shine. It's through this harmonious blend of technology and humanity that we continue to thrive at Qwasar.
The Future of AI at Qwasar
The journey of integrating AI at Qwasar has been nothing short of transformative, and we're excited to set our sights on the future. The adoption of AI is an ongoing process, and we are dedicated to continuously exploring its possibilities and refining its applications. In this section, we will delve into what the future holds for AI at our organization:
The Obvious: A Qwasar Chatbot
It’s a no-brainer - building a Qwasar learning chatbot or helper on top of one of today’s LLM models. However, there are extensive and highly significant choices that go into designing how a learning chatbot is made when using skills-based, competency-based, and project-based learning. There is only one organization that has produced the first chatbot in this field, and the results and impact are yet to be evaluated.
Chatbots should NOT be designed to provide an answer in project-based learning, because the core of the learning model is about inquiry, curiosity, developing critical thinking skills, and building problem-solving skills. Simply providing answers all the time negates these goals. A single source of knowledge is not desirable either, as this doesn’t reflect the reality of the world today or encourage creativity.
So it’s a complicated and dense subject, but one we’re working on!
Ethical Considerations and Data Security
AI's growth at Qwasar will be balanced with a commitment to ethical AI practices and robust data security. We recognize the need to maintain transparency, privacy, and compliance in all our AI applications. Our focus on ethical considerations ensures that AI is a tool for good and doesn't compromise our values or the trust our learners place in us.
AI's role in our future is not just about automation; it's about augmentation. We see AI as a strategic ally, one that amplifies human potential, creativity, and innovation. It's a tool that allows us to work smarter, not just harder, and to deliver an even higher level of value to our learners.
In the ever-evolving landscape of AI, we remain committed to being at the forefront of its adoption. As we journey into the future, we are excited about the endless possibilities and innovations that AI will bring. The synergy between human intelligence and artificial intelligence is the driving force behind our progress and will continue to define our path forward.
