AI and Intellectual Property*

The intersection of intellectual property and artificial intelligence raises legal and creative issues that will need to be addressed through litigation and regulation. Generative AI and machine learning systems rely on massive training databases of text and images harvested from the internet—without permission, attribution, or compensation—prompting questions of fair use and copyright infringement. 

AI and Learning*

Swiftly advancing artificial intelligence technologies, including generative AI, will transform how and what people learn, driving rapid change in education models and content and affecting training and skill building. Evolving challenges include identifying which skills to teach, how to measure attainment, and how AI can enhance learning rather than undermine it. Associations will find their roles shifting as AI tools integrate their knowledge areas and serve their members and fields.

Changing Information Channels;

New technologies and new perspectives are giving rise to new channels of information dissemination. These channels, like TikTok or gaming platforms, are shaped by audiences seeking new forms of contact and expression and transforming what it means to be a legitimate information source.

Higher Education 3.0

Traditional educational models are under pressure as trends in work, technology, and student expectations—along with the disruptions of COVID-19—create needs for new curricula, modes of instruction, and funding models. Higher education faces new threats of disintermediation by online education and alternative credentialing systems. Enrollment could be increased and diversified by new approaches to admissions and student debt.

Hybrid Meetings

The pandemic-propelled surge in online meetings is driving a growing need for content and structures that engage both online and face-to-face participants. Developing technologies will expand participation and generate novel experiences, but best practices have yet to be institutionalized. Innovations in augmented reality, virtual reality, and telepresence will create new modes of interaction, further blurring the boundaries between online and face-to-face formats.

Rejection of Expertise

Public skepticism toward credentialed experts and institutions is growing. Expert pronouncements have reduced impact on public perception, with the public turning instead to noncredentialed and unofficial sources for guidance and information. At the same time, information is increasingly able to route around gatekeepers. In response, new frameworks and institutions for curbing the spread of misinformation are being developed.