Challenges and opportunities in the use of Artificial Intelligence in the university context

a case study in the Production Engineering Program at COPPE/UFRJ

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-57652025v30id286435

Keywords:

Artificial intelligence, higher education, opportunities and challenges

Abstract

The advancements in AI have driven a new era of innovation and transformation in various contexts, including education. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the primary opportunities and challenges of using AI in the university context from the perspective of graduate-level educators. To achieve this objective, a case study was conducted at the Graduate Program in Production Engineering (PEP) at COPPE/UFRJ. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted with the research area coordinators within the program, in addition to searching for documents within the institution and analyzing the document "Brazilian Artificial Intelligence Strategy" (EBIA) from the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI). The results revealed that the main challenges identified were the risk of plagiarism, dependence on AI tools, a lack of critical reflection, and infrastructure and funding difficulties. However, it is worth noting that AI is recognized as a potential support for the development of courses and administrative management facilitation. These findings provide valuable insights that can be considered to guide institutional strategies for the adoption of AI in higher education. Further research should be conducted to encompass other graduate programs and also take into account the perspectives of other stakeholders in the university environment, such as students and administrative staff, in order to enhance the understanding of the topic more comprehensively.

Author Biographies

  • Marcelle Feitoza Bassi Costa, UFRJ / COPPE /PEP

    Marcelle Feitoza Bassi Costa is a PhD student in Management and Innovation at COPPE/UFRJ with research focused on the areas of Design, Innovation and Education for Sustainable Development. She has a degree in Production Engineering from Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), a master's degree in Engineering in the area of Management, Production and Environment from the same institution (UFF) and a specialization in Education from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS ). She worked as a professor in the Department of Production Engineering (PDE) at the Petrópolis School of Engineering at the Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF). She is a member of the Working Group on Entrepreneurial Education by the Brazilian Association of Engineering Education (GT ABENGE) and has solid professional experience in the areas of Project Management, Economic Management and Process Planning and Control.

  • Gabriel Orsi Tinoco, UFRJ / COPPE /PEP

    Gabriel Orsi is a Master's student in Management and Innovation at COPPE/UFRJ and graduated in Administration from FACC/UFRJ. Furthermore, he specialized in Strategic Design and Innovation at the Istituto Europeo di Design in São Paulo. In his academic career, Gabriel stands out for his research on social innovation, innovation in the public sector, entrepreneurship, service design and creativity in organizations. His contributions are evidenced by national and international publications in these fields, in addition to participation in relevant conferences.

    During his journey, he worked as a research fellow at the Social Responsibility Laboratory of the UFRJ Institute of Economics and in the MAISRio project, a collaboration between the University of Sheffield and UFRJ, funded by the Global Challenge Research Fund – GCRF, from the United Kingdom.

    Professionally, with more than seven years of experience, Gabriel has dedicated himself to managing and creating innovative products and services, especially in fintechs and tech startups, combining innovation, design and management to promote significant transformations in the market.

  • Pedro Cariello Botelho, UFRJ / COPPE /PEP

    Pedro Cariello Botelho is a Master's student in Decision Engineering and Management at COPPE/UFRJ. He has a degree in Control and Automation Engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2013), a Postgraduate Degree in Knowledge Management and Business Intelligence from CRIE-COPPE / UFRJ and an MBA in Business Management from Fungação Getúlio Vargas (2016). He has professional experience in Engineering at Chemtech-Siemens, Finance and Financial Market working at Xp Investimentos. Since 2011, he has worked in business development in the food and retail sector for the companies, Superpão (Nova Friurgo - RJ), CCN Distribuidora (Nova Friburgo - RJ), Founding Partner of the company Novamix Food Service Varejo de Alimentos e Festas with 6 branches. He works at ADERJ (Association of Distributors and Wholesalers of Rio de Janeiro) as a founding member of the ADERJ-Jovem Sucessores Group, having presided over the group in the 2019/2021 period. Training in English in Cambridge-England (EuroCenters) and Voluntary Exchange at AIESEC in Mostenica (Banská Bystrica) - Slovakia.

  • Nicholas dos Santos Faria Corrêa, UFRJ / COPPE /PEP

    Nicholas dos Santos Faria Corrêa is a Master's student in Management and Innovation at COPPE/UFRJ. He has a degree in Social Sciences from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2021) and is currently a Postgraduate Student in Production Engineering-PEP / UFRJ. He has professional experience as an Inclusive Education agent, working in basic education in the city of Rio de Janeiro and in higher education by the UFRJ Accessibility Directorate, in addition to working as a Peer Coach, monitoring and facilitating the learning of Software Development students at school Kenze Academy. He is co-founder and coordinator of the Lab Escola 3D project, an interdisciplinary, experimental and collaborative laboratory focused on innovation processes in public education, working with the Municipal Department of Education of the city of Rio de Janeiro in the continued training of more than 20 teachers of 2 schools in the network, impacting more than 300 students.

  • Tharcisio Cotta Fontainha, UFRJ / COPPE /PEP

    Tharcisio Cotta Fontainha has a PhD in Production Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio). He is an assistant professor in the Management and Innovation area of the Production Engineering Program at COPPE / UFRJ. He works in teaching, research and extension on the subject of humanitarian aid and disasters under different scientific and practical approaches. He is a fellow of the Young Scientist of Our State program by FAPERJ and a Fellow of Productivity Technological Development and Innovative Extension by CNPq. Its projects have already resulted in articles published in national and international forums on Production Engineering and the disaster area, being carried out in conjunction with the Rio Operations Center (COR), Civil Defense of the State of RJ (DCERJ), National Center for Natural Disaster Monitoring and Alerts (CEMADEN), National Center for Risk and Disaster Management (CENAD), Ministry of Defense (MD), United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and World Bank.

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Published

2025-03-31

Issue

Vol. 30 (2025)

Section

Artigo

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How to Cite

Challenges and opportunities in the use of Artificial Intelligence in the university context: a case study in the Production Engineering Program at COPPE/UFRJ. Avaliação: Revista da Avaliação da Educação Superior, Campinas; Sorocaba, SP, v. 30, p. e025003, 2025. DOI: 10.1590/1982-57652025v30id286435. Disponível em: https://submission.scielo.br/index.php/aval/article/view/286435. Acesso em: 19 apr. 2025.