CURRENT AND FUTURE PROSPECTS OF INTELLIGENT TUTORING PLATFORMS (ITP) AND AI USE IN RESEARCH EDUCATION

Abstract

The transformation of higher education by the merged technologies of Intelligent Tutoring Platforms (ITP) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a shift that moves educational models away from passive, uniform instruction to massively individualized, adaptive, and scalable learning environments. Most of the chapter is dedicated to the current and future deployment of AI and ITP in research education - the rigorous, scaffolded training of students in advanced methodological skills, critical scientific thinking, sophisticated data analysis, and ethical conduct for independent scholarly inquiry. At present, the cutting-edge AI software can efficiently handle the execution of repetitive tasks of a high-volume nature in research (e.g., synthesis of comprehensive literature review, preliminary data cleaning, and providing basic coding) in such a way, that they revolutionize the entire research process, enabling students to engage with the material at a deeper conceptual level and to exercise creativity in problem-solving. However, the futuristic concepts of the technology are not about mere automation but rather about the positioning of AI as a true cognitive partner - thus, for example, AI would be able to facilitate complex hypothesis generation through abductive reasoning, simulate nuanced, large-scale research scenarios, and offer personalized, real-time feedback on argumentation skills and ethical as well as compliance to complex regulatory frameworks. The in-depth discussion culminates in an essay on the toughest and most difficult-to-resolve problems concerning the implementation and existential aspects, such as the problems of data privacy and security that come as a package, the issue of mitigating deeply-rooted algorithmic bias, and the urgent call for the redefinition of academic integrity and intellectual ownership in the new era of automated research assistance.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Intelligent Tutoring Platforms (ITP), Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS).