An Update on AI
University of Illinois Extension
Home Community and Education
Ray Schroeder, professor emeritus UIS; senior fellow UPCEA
Embedded Files
This site URL: https://sites.google.com/view/ui-extension-ai/
November 17, 2026
Foundation/Background Information - Where Are We Now with AI?
GENERATIVE ~~ AGENTIC
GENERATIVE AI, sometimes called gen AI, is artificial intelligence (AI) that can create original content such as text, images, video, audio or software code in response to a user’s prompt or request. Generative AI relies on sophisticated machine learning models called deep learning models algorithms that simulate the learning and decision-making processes of the human brain. These models work by identifying and encoding the patterns and relationships in huge amounts of data, and then using that information to understand users' natural language requests or questions and respond with relevant new content.
AGENTIC AI is an artificial intelligence system that can accomplish a specific goal with limited supervision. It consists of AI agents—machine learning models that mimic human decision-making to solve problems in real time. In a multiagent system, each agent performs a specific subtask required to reach the goal and their efforts are coordinated through AI orchestration. Unlike traditional AI models, which operate within predefined constraints and require human intervention, agentic AI exhibits autonomy, goal-driven behavior and adaptability. The term “agentic” refers to these models’ agency, or, their capacity to act independently and purposefully.
RECURSIVE SELF-IMPROVEMENT ~ the SINGULARITY ~BLACK OCTOBER 2026
As Senior Fellow at UPCEA, the leading national association for online and professional higher education, I pubish a bi-weekly column in the industry-wide, popular periodical Inside Higher Education. My most recent column came out last week on the 11th. It is titled "The Singularity, Black October and Other Lessons for Higher Education" providing a good foundation for our session.
KEY POINT FOR UNDERSTANDING ~ EXPONENTIAL
Examples of Growth Charts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponential_growth#/media/File:Exponential.svg
It is important to begin with the chart of exponential growth curve in the development of AI
Sam Altman Just Issued His Scariest Warning Yet - the AIGRID
LETS LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES OF GENERATIVE AI FROM TODAY
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) - Physcial
Google Is Now Building Physical AGI
The Tesla Robot (Optimus) set to release soon at $25,000
What Happens when AI Is Driven by Quantum Computing ~ Quantum AI Computing
Advanced AIs of the future will harness the most powerful computational operations known today: quantum computations. The synthesis of quantum computing and AI will give rise to Quantum AI—artificial intelligence with access to quantum computational resources—which is poised to expand the capabilities of intelligent systems. This advancement will lead to transformative abilities, such as ultraprecise sensing, the realistic simulation of complex natural phenomena, the efficient solution of classically intractable mathematical problems, or protocols for secure communication and enhanced coordination in multi-agent systems. The impact of this synthesis will be profound, promising to accelerate scientific discovery in areas from molecular biology to quantum gravity, while empowering engineers to create novel pharmaceuticals, viable fusion reactors, or designer materials with desirable properties. Quantum AI might also help to address a critical bottleneck in classical machine learning: its escalating demand for data and computational power. Beyond such applications lies another even more consequential possibility. If, as some recent theories and data from quantum neurobiology suggest, quantum processes give rise to consciousness and free will, then only Quantum AI—unconstrained by the limitations of classical computation—could enable the expansion of human consciousness and a transcendence of our biological origins. https://www.amacad.org/publication/daedalus/quantum-ai
To help ensure credibility and authenticity - conduct AI search at multiple frontier sites (compare and refine) - Ray's Rule of 3
To help ensure credibility and authenticity - conduct AI search at multiple frontier sites (compare and refine) - Ray's Rule of 3
Google's Gemini https://gemini.google.com/app
OpenAI's ChatGPT https://chatgpt.com/
Anthropic's Claude https://claude.ai/
Of Possible Interest - Ray's recent Presentation:
How can you keep up with daily developments & trends?
Ray's Daily Curated Reading Lists and Social Media
UPCEA Professional, Continuing and Online Education Update http://continuingedupdate.blogspot.com/
UPCEA Artificial Intelligence in Higher Ed
https://ai-in-highered.blogspot.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rayschroeder
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brief Bio https://sites.google.com/view/raysspace/home/schroeder-bio
Contact Ray
@rayschroeder LinkedIn
UPCEA Senior Fellow, UIS Professor Emeritus
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse