An interview with Pat Coates

With the eAA’s inaugural AI Symposium less than two weeks away, we wanted to take the opportunity as headline sponsor to sit down with Pat Coates , CEO of the e-Assessment Association (eAA) to discuss all things AI and what the event will offer its attendees.

Pat was interviewed by risr/ 's very own Richard Leith , part of our Growth and Innovation Team.

Q: Why did the eAA decide to create the AI Symposium?

Discussing the influence of AI in assessment is something I’ve been passionate about since the early days of its inception. So, having become CEO of the eAA just over a year ago following a decade on the board, I thought it was important to our organisation that we recognised the immense impact and potential that its application could have across assessment.

We have an AI Special Interest Group which meets quarterly. We also wanted the opportunity for stakeholders in the e-assessment sector to meet in person to be able to engage with one another and discuss ideas, concerns, and everything in between. So, by creating this Symposium, we aim to provide an open forum where experts and enthusiasts can come together to discuss, share, and address all things AI and e-assessment.

Q: What are some of the key discussion points you anticipate during the event?

This is the first event of its kind for the eAA, I do hope that as well as talking of the positive impact of AI we can also address some of the misconceptions and limitations. E.g. I know that the potential for bias is always a key topic.

ChatGPT and other generative AI models that have catapulted AI into the spotlight over the last 18 months are trained off large language models (LLM), which are typically built from existing English language content in the public domain. As a consequence, the cultural bias inherent in this material can lead to a bias in content.

It also raises the issue of intellectual property and copyright – “can we or can’t we use this and if not, why not?”. We’re actually hosting a session with some AI ‘naysayers’ to provide a platform for those with forthright views from both ends of the spectrum.

And I absolutely welcome any scepticism. The sooner we can allay the fears of our stakeholders, the sooner we can collectively realise the numerous benefits that AI can bring to the assessment process.

The work being done by firms like risr/ who are sponsoring the event serves to support this. The AI Symposium isn’t here to blindly argue that AI is a panacea, rather to help stakeholders realise that if harnessed correctly, and used as a co-pilot to human activity, it can deliver increased creativity, enhanced efficiency and a much better use of our finite resource.

Q: Where do you see AI evolving to in assessment in the next three-five years?

There is immense potential in the growth and evolution of AI in assessment over the next few years to facilitate more efficient, flexible, and learner-centric assessment methods.

But I don’t see assessment in the UK being radically different as a result of AI in the immediate future. This isn’t to say that it couldn’t, but there remains a lot of work to be done in winning the hearts and minds of decision-makers in changing the way that assessment is delivered.

I think there might be other countries, beyond the UK’s borders, that able to more quickly scale up AI tools for use in assessment due to the existence of fewer restrictions or legacy barriers. Excitingly, we’re going to have a notable international presence on the day, so there’ll be ample opportunity for attendees to hear first-hand the work that’s being done across the globe.

It was brilliant to catch up with Pat to talk all things AI and hear how the eAA is looking to facilitate open and honest discussion about its potential in assessment.

We’re excited to be headline sponsors of the first ever AI symposium and we can’t wait for the event.