About 100 attendees gathered for a vibrant day of exploration, discussion and practical insight into Generative AI (GenAI) on 5 June at the Tooting campus, City St George’s, University of London.
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The atmosphere in the room was one of warm energy and openness, with students and staff from across the University eager to learn, connect and explore how AI can support – not replace – the work they do.
The day opened with a pre-recorded message from Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein, President of City St George's, setting the tone for critical and creative thinking around the potential of AI in higher education. Professor Baba Sheba, Director of Digital Transformation welcomed attendees, noting that “other schools will get to host future AI Day events on their campus,” signalling a wider commitment to embedding AI across the University’s campuses.
Baba highlighted how AI will shape the core skills needed by 2030 and introduced the newly launched AI Accelerator and Change Programme, as well as the AI Hub microsite, now live with resources, tools and guidance for staff and students. “We’re progressing a range of experimentations and collaborations with partners – including our students.” he said.
Fireside chats and panel discussions
The day centred around panel discussions and interactive sessions, giving attendees a cross-disciplinary view of how GenAI is already shaping education, research, and professional services.
In the Education and Research panel, chaired by Professor Susan Blake, Associate Dean for Digital Learning at City Law School, discussion focused on student engagement, learning outcomes and assessment. Dr Julie Voce, Head of Digital Education & Deputy Director, Learning Enhancement and Development reminded the audience: “This is a key skill that we need to embrace – not ban,” when reflecting on students’ use of AI, Danon Pritchard, Director of Digital Literacies and a Senior Lecturer, The City Law School shared early experiments using GenAI in assessments saying: “Training on prompting techniques gave our team a real sense of what students might ask – and helped shape better questions.”
Professor Eduardo Alonso, Director of the Artificial Intelligence Research Centre joined online to outline research applications, from weather forecasting to detecting medical conditions reflecting “We’re using AI to find solutions to real-life problems.”
Dr Julia Kutschenreuter, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Infection & Immunity, City St George’s explored how GenAI can support protein structure prediction and help equalise access to lab-based knowledge. She shared: “It’s messy, noisy and unstructured – GenAI helps make sense of that.”, while also cautioning about over-reliance saying: “Can I trust a graph if I don’t know how it was made?”
The session also tackled ethics, bias and student support. “We need to support students with critical thinking.” said Dr Voce. “We should be looking at the process of learning, not just the outputs.” In a lively Q&A, one audience member asked how AI affects students’ creativity. The response was clear: “Creativity will become more important in the age of AI – not less,” one panellist said. “We need to teach students to have enough knowledge to recognise when AI is wrong.”
Industry perspectives
The Industry Panel, chaired by Professor Baba Sheba, offered insight from healthcare, publishing, data science and legal sectors. Dr Carolyn Johnston, Consultant Anaesthetist & Group Associate Medical Director for Improvement at GESH (St George's, Epsom, St Helier Hospitals Group) spoke about AI in healthcare, including testing a digital scribe, while Tom Hirschmann, CEO CoreCortex raised accountability saying: “How do we direct our ‘workers’ (AI) and take responsibility for their output?”
Victoria Russell, Founder of GetAIducated and Co-Host of Human-AI Interaction Podcast offered a powerful reflection: “AI is as undefined as sustainability,” encouraging users to learn prompt strategies and system functions to reduce energy usage and environmental impact. Timo Hannay, Founding managing director of digital science and founder of SchoolDash added: “We need to make better use of these tools to help us get to better answers.”
Panellists shared the one skill graduates need most in an AI-driven world: - “Versatility” – Timo Hannay - “Good discrimination” – Caroline Butler, Lead Service Designer at PA Consulting - “Curiosity and resilience” – Jon McLoone, Technical Director at Wolfram Research Europe - “Adaptability” – Victoria Russell - “Balance” – Professor Enrico Bonadio, Professor of Intellectual Property Law.
Co-creating with AI and practical tools
An engaging masterclass explored how to co-create with AI while keeping human critical thinking “in the loop.” Attendees reflected on how AI already supports home life, travel, and task automation – with some voicing concern over AI's emotional intelligence. One audience member remarked: “ChatGPT has more emotional intelligence than most humans.”
Microsoft Copilot was introduced as a practical tool to streamline quiz creation and automate admin, with sessions already rolling out across the University. Professor Stian Reimers, Director of Educational Enhancement and Digital Innovation, SHMS shared insights into using AI to support student skills development, including professional communication simulations and bespoke chatbots created by students for creative problem-solving.
In a live poll, 55% of attendees said they felt confident using AI, while 35% wanted to build stronger prompting skills. The most preferred format for learning? Live webinars and short-form sessions.
Final reflections
As the day closed, the feeling in the room was cautiously optimistic. One attendee summarised it best: “There’s hope and fear – but more hope.” Professor Susannah Quinsee, Vice President (Digital and Student Experience) encouraged the audience to embrace the challenge saying: “Overcome your fears and open yourselves up to new skills. You’re not alone – and we’re here to support you.”