Interview with Juan Antonio Perteguer, Civil Engineer, PhD student in Artificial Intelligence, education expert, CEO and Co-founder of SLAM International, about the applications of artificial intelligence in education.
Interviewer: How do you see the future of education?
Perteguer: In a way we can say that without a good education there is no future. Education should help the improvement of each person, by discovering his or her talents and developing them by putting them at the service of others. Aristotle said that to educate is to form virtuous people, the future of education has to go in that direction.
Interviewer: Are current education systems going that way?
Perteguer: Unfortunately, current education systems are overly rigid, they focus too much on training in competencies with the minimum necessary knowledge and equalizing at the bottom. The student has to adapt to a rigid educational system. I believe that it should be the educational system that adapts to the talents of each student and not the other way around.
Interviewer: How can these talents be discovered?
Perteguer: With a talent management system like the one developed by SLAM International. This system adapts to each student, helps them to discover their talents, to develop them to the fullest together with other students who have their own distinct talents and to put them at the service of others. Talent and virtue go hand in hand.
Interviewer: How does SLAM International work?
Perteguer: SLAM International is a talent management system for sports, music and academic talent with British and American accreditation at the pre-university, university and postgraduate levels. The main headquarters is in the north of Madrid in Spain, right in the heart of the Sierra de Guadarrama Biosphere Reserve where our large educational campus is located.
Interviewer: What is the role of artificial intelligence in SLAM’s talent management system?
Perteguer: Artificial intelligence is key in SLAM’s talent management system- it allows us to better analyze each student and facilitates the design of personalized study plans for each of them.
Interviewer: Can you give some examples of SLAM’s application of AI in education?
Perteguer: AI helps us to analyze student performance, assess learning, design personalized study plans and predict students’ academic success, etc. Imagine that every athletically talented student has sensors on their wrist, on their sportswear, that collect biometric data and this data is analyzed with AI algorithms that send the information to the coaches. Or imagine that the teacher relies on a blended learning system that through AI, personalizes each student’s pathways in subjects such as math, science or language learning. On the other hand, AI helps us to organize groups of students to collaborate in a trusting relationship, to anticipate possible emotional or relationship problems, to prevent sports or health injuries, to personalize the nutrition of each student….
Interviewer: How do you think AI will change education in the coming years?
Perteguer: AI is going to change education in the coming years in many aspects, mainly in in the personalization of the teaching-learning process. It will also improve the relationship between students, teachers and families. On the other hand, students have to master AI as a tool or AI will end up dominating their lives.
Interviewer: How do you think society will change with the advent of AI?
Perteguer: The advent of AI is already changing society in many ways, it is changing work, the economy, the way we think, the way we relate to each other, and so on. That is why it is essential that students are well prepared to be the leaders of this change.
Interviewer: How do you think education should be prepared to face these changes?
Perteguer: Education has to change a lot to face these changes, it has to be more flexible, more adaptable, it has to discover the talents of each student and develop them to the fullest. Students have to master AI as a tool or AI will end up dominating their lives.
Interviewer: And that is what SLAM International offers.
Perteguer: That’s what SLAM International offers, a talent management system for sports, music and academics that helps to discover and develop the unique talents of each student, putting them at the service of others, while incorporating AI as a very powerful tool within the teaching-learning process.
