Dear Editor,

Last Thursday evening, I joined a teaching English as a second language certificate course on Zoom to assist my colleague Ryan Sweeney – an adjunct course facilitator – in case he had any technical issues or in the event the students had some questions that might prove difficult from him. It was a productive first session.

At the end of the class I received an e-mail with what seemed to reflect minutes of the session. I wondered to myself who was taking notes because the summary was meticulously written. The summary was even divided using sub-headings through artificial intelligence (AI). I then saw “Here’s your meeting summary for ESL300 – Certificate Teaching English as a Second Language (A) on 10/26/2023. This summary has been auto-generated. AI-generated content may be inaccurate or misleading. Always check for accuracy.”

I immediately felt as though my privacy was invaded and swiftly forwarded the e-mail to my colleague, in which I wrote, “Sweeney!!! Sascrise!! [laughing emoticons]”.

Instantly, Sweeney called me in utter panic. He asked me who was taking notes in class to put together such an immaculate report in such a short span of time. He was wondering if there was a spy. He was concerned whether other people had access to the summary. I told him to check his e-mail to see if he had received it initially (outside of the forwarded e-mail I had sent to him).

In the end we discovered that I was the only one who had received it, perhaps because I was the one who had created the Zoom link. Despite the slight sigh of relief, Sweeney was still unsettled in his spirit as he felt there had been an intruder in the session. The experience was new for both of us.

Although the experience can be unsettling for a first-timer, I have chosen to concentrate on the positive side of AI-generated meeting summaries. They provide pertinent information that is carefully written in a language that is accessible (familiar vocabulary and syntax). The teacher can easily correct errors or inaccuracies. They save time. Instead of going through a two-hour lecture, both students and teachers can use the summary to recall or understand the main points that were covered in the class. They can be saved for future use. Other colleagues who teach or will teach the same course could also benefit from the information and use it to guide their pedagogic intervention. In addition, supervisors and heads of departments could also use the summaries as part of the assessment and appraisal process to ensure that teachers and other workers are meeting the required objectives.

AI has certainly revolutionised the educational landscape, and there are many more interruptions to come. It is somewhat scary but we have to embrace it for the benefits it brings to the sector.

Oneil Madden

maddenoniel@yahoo.com