Interview with Marouane Kessentini, PhD Dean, College of Computing at Grand Valley State University Since joining Grand Valley State University in 2024, Marouane Kessentini has led the university’s College of Computing through a period of substantial growth. During his tenure, Dr. Kessentini has implemented several initiatives exposing students to new technologies, increasing their exposure to real-world problem solving, and opening the college up to students in majors outside of computing. As technology continues to expand across industries, Dr. Kessentini believes all work is, or will become, computing work. Born in Tunisia, Dr. Kessentini developed a passion for technology while working at an electronics store. He pursued that passion through his undergraduate and graduate education at the University of Tunis and went on to earn his Ph.D. at the University of Montreal where he focused on artificial intelligence in software engineering. Prior to joining GVSU, Dr. Kessentini served as a professor at the University of Michigan, Oakland University, and founded several research centers on AI and advanced technologies. Dr. Kessentini spoke with The Right Place regarding his views on the intersection of artificial and human intelligence, how technology has shifted universities’ role in education, and how Grand Valley State is integrating technology across its pedagogy.
Q: A:
How has the perception of AI technology changed over time?
One of my early prototypes with my research team we developed with eBay in 2014. It involved developing bots that could restructure the whole backend. My research team was among the very first who developed bots that can generate code. It was working, but the engineers did not trust this type of innovation. They were saying humans should write code. It was interesting, ten years later, in 2022, I have executives from eBay calling me to say, "We need to deploy this right now.” The technology didn't evolve, it was available ten years ago, people’s mindsets changed after a decade. I'm saying this because that's what I'm passionate about: continued innovation. That's what excited me about coming here to Grand Valley.
AI literacy is very critical for our society. It's important that our society is aware of the advantages and the limitations and risks of AI and understanding its potential. ”
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