During the most critical decision-making period for millions of students and families, Üsküdar University Vice Rector Prof. Türker Tekin Ergüzel issued an important warning against AI powered preference robots.
Stating that artificial intelligence is excessively rational, Prof. Ergüzel said: "While our decisions include rational parameters, they also contain emotional parameters. If I were a prospective student, I know I would not even include 40 percent of the programs recommended by AI in my preferences. AI can narrow down a vast search space. However, for finalizing decisions, collective intelligence, meaning family, experiences, and emotional parameters, must absolutely come into play."
Prof. Ergüzel shared critical cautions about the use of AI supported preference robots.
The preference period is just as critical as the exam period
Prof. Türker Tekin Ergüzel emphasized that the preference period is just as critical as the exam period: "If the exam is a process where students demonstrate academic performance, the preference period is a process where they demonstrate their ability to make the right decisions. Therefore, both processes are highly critical. What we observe is this: 60 percent of incoming prospective students arrive with a predetermined program choice in mind and changing that is difficult. The remaining 40 percent make their decisions based on the guidance of teachers, friends, professionals, and family. This is a jointly made decision, a process where the final choice is made through collective intelligence. I emphasize the word collective here. When candidates decide alone, they carry the concern of bearing full responsibility for that decision. When they decide together with collective intelligence, they incorporate into the evaluation process all the components, such as who works in that field, what current students in that program think, what faculty members say, and what career options exist after graduation. The more they include these factors, the more rational and stable their final decision will be."
How reliable are AI preference robots?
Pointing out that AI algorithms ignore emotional expectations and personal satisfaction, Prof. Ergüzel said: "AI is excessively rational. While our decisions include rational parameters, they also contain emotional ones. If there is no emotional connection, if you do not like the program, you will naturally have doubts even if it seems like the right choice. You need to love the program you choose. I have tested AI interfaces using myself as an example, and they recommend undergraduate programs so far apart from each other that, if I were a prospective student, I would not even include 40 percent of AI’s suggestions in my list. That is because AI evaluates solely on very concrete numerical criteria, such as exam scores, without considering my emotional connection, expectations, or job satisfaction after graduation. That is why I believe AI’s role is to clarify, to narrow a vast search space. But for finalizing decisions, collective intelligence, meaning family, experience, and emotional parameters, must definitely be involved. For example, during preference promotion periods, we often meet students who approach us for Industrial Engineering but leave firmly decided on Software Engineering."
Candidates considering engineering should have “algorithmic thinking” skills
Prof. Ergüzel stated that the primary skill candidates considering engineering should look for in themselves is algorithmic thinking: "The answer to the question ‘Do I have engineering skills?’ is this: If a candidate, when faced with a problem in daily life, can define it as a problem and develop a step-by-step algorithmic solution, they can succeed in any engineering field. Even when planning which car to cross the street after, your mind runs an algorithm.
Today’s new generation engineering requires working with distant but related disciplines. An engineer, or even a student from the Faculty of Health Sciences, should not only know their own field. At our university, for example, a medical student takes Artificial Intelligence and Data Science courses to become a physician who understands big data. The engineers we train work with doctors, process MRI data, and help diagnose psychiatric disorders.
According to the World Economic Forum, two thirds of companies now care less about the department you graduated from and more about your problem-solving ability and multidisciplinary knowledge. Being able to define and manage a project is, believe me, more valuable than graduating with a perfect GPA of 4.0."
Not just a diploma, but also culture and entrepreneurship matter
Prof. Ergüzel, noting that there are flagship courses at the university, said: "In the first year, we start with the University Culture course. In the second year, we offer the Entrepreneurship and Project Culture course. One piece of data shows that in countries with entrepreneurship companies, the youth unemployment rate is 60 percent lower. Eighty percent of our students want to start their own business after graduation rather than be employed somewhere else. In the third year, we have elective courses with projects. In the fourth year, with the Graduation Project, the student now focuses on the product they have developed themselves. We have students who turn their graduation project into a product by establishing their own company and with projects supported by TÜBİTAK. A university is a culture; you mature within that culture. We take our students as seedlings and graduate them bearing fruit. It is not possible to acquire these skills and this culture without a diploma."
Knowing English is essential
Emphasizing that any profession that contains data or produces data will bring success, Prof. Ergüzel said: "Health sciences is a tremendous field that produces valuable data. And language… The question ‘Do you know English?’ no longer exists. A graduate who does not know English will inevitably one day say, ‘I wish I had solved this language problem during my undergraduate years.’ Many of our engineering programs are in English. Do not worry about ‘Professor, do you think I can manage studying in English?’ At our university, we have a one-year preparatory program. Make sure to use that year, solve your English problem, and set it aside."
A message to families and candidates
Prof. Türker Tekin Ergüzel concluded his remarks with a hopeful message to all candidates and their families: "None of our prospective students should forget this: there is no single right. Do not be afraid of making mistakes. At any point in life, there will be opportunities to make up for a mistake. Therefore, I primarily recommend working hard, being passionate, making an effort, being persistent, and never accepting defeat. And to families: collective intelligence is very important. Before making a decision, be sure to use this advantage."
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)