During his scientific oration at the inauguration ceremony of President University’s 7th and 8th professors on Tuesday, 21 April 2026, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Erwin Parasian Sitompul, S.T., M.Sc., Professor of AI-Based Automation Engineering, highlighted the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, particularly artificial neural networks, over the past two decades.

He explained that neural network models, which were once relatively simple and limited in scale, have now evolved into highly complex systems widely used in areas such as text and image processing. According to him, this development has transformed automation engineering into systems capable of learning from data, adapting, and responding dynamically to environmental changes.

Prof. Erwin also discussed the growing impact of AI on higher education, especially with the increasing use of technologies such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot. While these technologies can help students complete tasks more efficiently, he emphasized the importance of maintaining strong fundamental understanding and critical thinking.

He stated, “AI can calculate, classify, and even predict. However, AI is not responsible for ethical consequences and does not understand social context. Those responsibilities remain in the hands of humans.”