Perspectives from a Workshop: Intelligent Assessment in the age of Artificial Intelligence

The advent of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is already impacting pedagogic strategies and assessment methodologies in higher education, particularly in the biological sciences which have traditionally relied heavily on written assessments. GenAI's rapid and plausible text generation capabilities challenge traditional written assessments and prompt a shift towards more authentic assessment types. This paper explores innovative applications of GenAI in biology education through case studies presented at a recent workshop. These case studies illustrate how GenAI has the potential to enhance academic activities, from developing learning resources to fostering student engagement through active learning strategies. The discussion highlights a shift from product-oriented assessments to process-oriented approaches that prioritize continuous interaction, iteration, and reflection among learners. Despite GenAI's reliance on pre-existing data raising concerns about originality and contextual accuracy, and its limitations in tasks requiring high creativity and deep understanding, it has the potential to enhance educational practices when applied with awareness of its constraints. The paper concludes with a balanced analysis of the transformative impact and inherent challenges of integrating GenAI into biology education, advocating for thoughtful implementation to ensure it augments rather than replaces traditional teaching methods.