Generative artificial intelligence: disruptive revolution in university education and education 4.0 XI Taller Internacional “La transformación digital y las tecnologías de avanzada en la Educación Superior”

Abstract

Global higher education is undergoing an unprecedented transformation driven by rapid digital evolution, framed within the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Education 4.0. The emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) has catalyzed a disruptive change that fundamentally impacts how the university educational process is taught, learned, and conceived. This work analyzed how GAI, beyond being a tool, acts as a co-constructor of knowledge, reconfiguring educational environments toward more dynamic and personalized models. The essential synergy between human and artificial intelligence was explored, highlighting the crucial role of skills such as "prompt engineering" in optimizing this interaction and generating meaningful responses. It was argued that this convergence not only enhances the development of key competencies for Industry 4.0 (critical thinking, creativity, data management) but also redefines the roles of teachers and students, promoting guided self-directed learning and the resolution of authentic problems. The challenges inherent in this integration (ethical, bias-related, and related to the digital divide) were discussed, and pedagogical and curricular strategies for a critical and ethical adoption of IAG were proposed. The novelty lay in the conceptualization of this convergence as a fundamental driving force for Learning 4.0 environments, projecting transformations in the relevance, effectiveness, and equity of higher education.