More than Just Tools: Leveraging AI to Compliment Human Intellect in Education
More than Just Tools: Leveraging AI to Compliment Human Intellect in Education
Dr. Suzanne Collins, Marketing
Dr. Suzanne Collins, a dedicated faculty member in the Marketing Department at the Belk College of Business, has always been fascinated by innovation.
Her journey with artificial intelligence began long before it became a ubiquitous topic in academic circles. Early on, she recognized the transformative potential of AI—not just as a technological marvel, but as a tool to enhance teaching, research, and professional practice.
It all started when she led the deployment of copilot M365 at her business firm. Tasked with improving efficiency and streamlining workflows, Dr. Collins saw AI as more than just an experimental gadget. She believed it could serve as a bridge between industry and academia. With a clear vision, she championed the integration of AI into everyday tasks, ensuring that her students would be among the first to experience its benefits. “I wanted to bring it to the students,” she would often say, emphasizing her commitment to preparing the next generation of marketers for a digital future.
Institutional restrictions and the high costs of many advanced AI tools meant that her access was frequently limited to free trials or temporary licenses. On more than one occasion, she found herself scrambling to demonstrate the potential of a tool only to see it vanish as quickly as it had appeared. “Every time I do a free trial, it gets removed,” Dr. Collins lamented, reflecting on the obstacles she faced in trying to secure a lasting, reliable solution for her classroom.
Undeterred, she adapted by leveraging the tools available. Dr. Collins began a series of interviews on AI—a project that soon grew into a robust collection of over 400 interviews since November 2023. In these interviews, her students played an active role. They recorded discussions, transcribed them using AI-driven tools like Word, and shared their insights on platforms like SharePoint. This initiative not only brought fresh perspectives into the classroom but also served as a live laboratory for exploring AI’s capabilities and limitations.
One particularly memorable project involved using AI to analyze brand personality. Dr. Collins had her students extract and compare social media comments from a firm’s public profile with a published brand personality report. Using free tools and clever workarounds, the students were able to observe firsthand how AI could categorize and analyze digital content. The exercise was eye-opening; it underscored both the power of AI to sift through vast amounts of data and its inherent limitations when it came to context and nuance.
Throughout her journey, Dr. Collins remained acutely aware of the fine balance between embracing AI’s potential and maintaining academic rigor. She stressed to her students that while AI could be a fantastic assistant, it was no substitute for foundational knowledge. “If you don’t understand the underlying principles, relying solely on AI is like using a calculator without knowing the math,” she explained.
Looking ahead, Dr. Collins envisions a future where AI plays a central role in education and research—not as a crutch, but as a sophisticated tool that complements human intellect. She is optimistic about the potential for AI to catalyze a new era of research innovation and pedagogical strategies. Yet, she remains cautious about the risks of over-reliance. “If every answer comes from the same source, where is the room for creative thought?” she often mused, underscoring her belief that true learning comes from diverse perspectives and critical inquiry.
As she continues to navigate this evolving landscape, she remains a passionate advocate for harnessing AI responsibly, ensuring that the next generation is not only equipped with advanced tools but also with the wisdom to use them wisely.