SiliconTech, the engineering institute of Silicon University, organized an expert talk on Artificial Intelligence (AI) on 5 March 2025.
The objective of the session was to explore advancements in generative AI, particularly large language models (LLMs), and their transformative impact on industry and education.
The talk was delivered by Dr. Arun Ravindran, Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA. He spoke on ‘Unlocking Generative AI: Advances, Applications, and Impact on Education’. The session brought together students, faculty members, and professionals eager to gain deeper insights into the rapidly evolving field of AI.
Dr. Ravindran provided a comprehensive overview of the evolution of LLMs, their emerging reasoning capabilities, and real-world applications across industries. He also shared system-level strategies for effectively deploying LLMs, drawing from his extensive research and consulting experience. He emphasized how generative AI can enhance education through personalized learning, content generation, and broader access to knowledge.
The session also served as a platform for strategic discussions around integrating AI into academia. Key takeaways included the need to continue research on generative AI applications in VLSI and education, develop a long-term plan to embed AI as a productivity tool from the first semester, and provide faculty training in GenAI tools for teaching and self-learning. Dr. Ravindran highlighted the importance of preparing students in the first two years to engage in industry-relevant projects by the third year.
Additionally, the discussions led to actionable suggestions such as setting up a local computing system with LLM capabilities for in-house research, and developing AI-powered chatbots tailored to university needs, ranging from retrieving institutional data to serving as personalized educational assistants aligned with course content.
The thought-provoking session left a lasting impression on the attendees, inspiring them to explore the boundless opportunities of generative AI across disciplines.
