Last Friday 21 February 2025 in the Generalate an interesting training course was held, strongly desired by the Superior General and his Council, to explain and understand the risks and benefits of using artificial intelligence in its many possible applications.
In the presence of employees, councillors and some Brothers of the Generalate Community, three professors from the Barcelona Campus, invited for a full immersion day, offered their great contribution and put their experience at the disposal of those present to experience and learn together about methods and risks.
Josep M. Ribes, Maria Alsina, Rafel Jaume*, researchers and academic experts who have been involved in the activities of the Barcelona Campus – Ramon Llull – for several years, analysed and compared, after a general introduction and the presentation of theoretical concepts aimed at explaining why AI has developed so rapidly, the different applications of AI, again through their free version, comparing texts generated by tools such as Gemini, ChatGPT, Deepseek…; generating images through Bing, Leonardo or AI; music through Suno or Udio; the transformation into schematic tables or concept maps of any text in word or PDF, introduced in the selected system, such as Napkin, Gamma or Invideo); the search for specific and thematic information on Globe Explorer, or Rabbithole.chat, etc.
The last session, which took place in the afternoon, saw professors and participants reflecting on the risks of inappropriate and excessive use of these research and support tools: from reducing a considerable amount of jobs in various fields in the coming years, to limiting human creativity if not well introduced, from the danger for the new generations who, being already considered ‘digital natives’, could minimise their capacity for personal and critical evaluation, to the danger of using them too much. Despite the risks and perplexities, however, the three experts also emphasised and explained at length the great support that research, school education, medicine and science can receive from these valuable tools.
In the concluding phase of the meeting, Brother Carlos Gomez, Vicar General of the Institute, thanked the three professors on behalf of all those present, expressing the hope that in the future we might meet again to understand together and face the challenges of IA, in which the Council and the Superior have defined themselves as particularly attentive and interested.
* Josep M. Ribes Commissioner for Digitisation at La Salle Campus Barcelona University (Ramon Llull), where he directs the Artificial Intelligence Observatory, Director of Academic Organisation and member of the Campus Management Team, where he has been working for almost 30 years. An electronics and telecommunications engineer, he holds a master’s degree in Project Management and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Ramon Llull University. He trained in Management Development at IESE, University of Navarra. He has been a university lecturer in technology and technology management disciplines for more than 25 years.
* Maria Alsina, an electronics and telecommunications engineer, with a Master’s degree in Project Management, a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a PhD from the Ramon Ramon Llull, is currently director of teaching methodology and policy development at La Salle Campus Barcelona University, as well as a member of the Artificial Intelligence Observatory. She has been serving La Salle Campus Barcelona for 25 years. Her professional and research activity revolves around technology and education, addressing the design, evolution and development of teaching methodologies that harness the benefits of learning to put them at the service of teaching.
* Rafael Jaume, a member of the Artificial Intelligence Observatory at the La Salle Campus in Barcelona, explores the applications and risks of artificial intelligence in fields such as engineering, economics, architecture, animation and philosophy. In addition, he served as president of Technova Young, the student association for entrepreneurship on campus, leading training, conferences and networking activities to connect young people with the entrepreneurial ecosystem. He holds a degree in Digital Business, Design and Innovation from La Salle BCN. He is also a pianist and composer at the Film Scoring Academy of Europe. He is currently studying a Master’s degree in Philosophy in order to gain an in-depth understanding of current issues of great impact on society. Rafel is convinced that “technology is a fundamental tool to transform communities and improve society”.
