RLUK’s Digital Shift Forum brings together colleagues from across the information, research, cultural and heritage communities, and third and commercial sectors, to discuss the future of the digital shift in collections, services, and audiences.
The series aims to promote cross-sector discussion and debate, to enable knowledge exchange, and inspire collaborative endeavour across sectors and communities, for the benefit of RLUK members and the wider research and information management communities.
The Digital Shift Forum is open to all, and you do not need to belong to an RLUK member institution to attend or participate.
The academic library and Artificial Intelligence: some possible futures –
Andrew Cox, senior lecturer, information school, University of Sheffield
15 September 2021, 14:00 – 15:00
The term “artificial intelligence” has many meanings, past and present. In its current guise it has many potential applications in HE. An important aspect of this is the increasing use of data science techniques, such as machine learning, in research across all disciplines: from digital humanities, computational social science through to more obvious applications in the sciences. As data science skills are increasingly in demand in many sectors of the economy so there is an employability driver for it being taught in many disciplines. There are a number of ways academic libraries are already and could in the future be involved in supporting this activity: such as through providing content, licensing proprietary platforms or participating in academic led support communities. This talk presents the options and offers an analysis of which are most likely, drawing on an understanding of the professional knowledge base, balanced with a sense of wider institutional demands.
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Andrew Cox is a senior lecturer at the Information School, University of Sheffield. He is the school’s director of research. His research interests include the study of library support to research data management and the application of AI in eduction and in the information professions. He is author of the report: The impact of AI, machine learning, automation and robotics on the information professions: A report for CILIP.