Does Industry 5.0 Need an Engineering Education 5.0? Exploring Potentials and Challenges in the Age of Generative AI

Increasing disruption from Industry 4.0/5.0, climate change, digital transformation, wars and high levels of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) are leading to major changes in the labor market. In addition, improvements in chatbots and Generative AI are opening new opportunities for students and the future workforce. They seem to have become ‘creative’ in their field of study and are turning to AI applications for their learning, assignments or theses. However, there are concerns about academic integrity and cybersecurity. Students and researchers have already started using AI chatbots to learn, program, write academic essays or conduct research faster and more effectively. This paper explores whether AI can serve as a bicycle for human creativity and innovation. What are the first words that come to mind when you think of Engineering Education 5.0? Have you used Artificial Intelligence tools in your teaching, learning or research? This paper presents the results of a survey conducted at the Faculty of Electronics, Technology and Information Technology on the challenges and opportunities of using Generative AI(GenAI) in Engineering Education. This paper also outlines the Generative AI ecosystem for teaching, learning and research. Engineering Education 5.0 needs a future ready Curricula including AI Literacy, new teaching and learning methods, analytical and critical thinking, reflection, collaboration and complex problem-solving, and communities of practice with the industry to foster innovation and creativity.