Controlled acceleration with AI and software engineering
AI developments are also happening fast in software engineering. AI can automate many tasks, which has an impact on ICT study programmes and the fields of expertise. Associate professor Petra Heck sees this as an important and promising development that we need to act on quickly. ‘However, we need to accelerate in a controlled manner.’
On 1 February 2025, Petra Heck was appointed associate professor of AI & Software Engineering for the Sustainable Data & AI Applications research group of professor Gerard Schouten at Fontys ICT. For Heck, this new role is a logical continuation of her many years of research work in which software engineering and quality are the common thread. Heck studied software engineering, worked in various jobs in the field and has already done a lot of research in the field of software engineering and AI engineering, including as a PhD researcher.
Reliable
As an associate professor, her main research question focuses on building reliable AI systems. How do you ensure that the quality of these systems is sufficient? Because if we are going to rely on AI on a massive scale, then that trust must of course be justified. As far as the associate professor is concerned, the software engineering study programme at Fontys ICT is the ideal testing ground for AI tools. ‘Our students are completely free to experiment with all the tools. This means they don't have to do boring programming tasks, but are challenged to solve a company's problem with the help of AI. But to get the right programming code, you need to know what question to ask an AI tool. And then you need to know how to check if the programming code is good, because even AI sometimes produces mediocre quality.
The point is that the students learn to use the AI tools properly. And because the study programmes work with assignments for real companies, the experiments provide valuable knowledge for the work field. Heck: ‘We strive to help companies apply AI tools in their software processes in a reliable manner.
Pooling knowledge
Fontys is at the forefront of this field of expertise, says Heck. ‘AI is everywhere and it is constantly changing. We really can no longer ignore it. It is important to ensure that we are one step ahead of these changes. At Fontys, we do this by pooling knowledge and accelerating towards the future. But this acceleration must be done in a controlled manner. This means that we must continue to calmly reflect on what is currently going on and what needs to happen.
AI for society
In projects for the Centre of Expertise AI for Society, Heck works closely with various disciplines, taking into account not only the technical aspects of AI, but also the ethical and legal aspects. Heck: ‘This means that we at Fontys, and also nationally, are playing an important role in helping education, research and business move forward.’
Author: Ingrid Oonincx
Source: Fontys news
More news
The EU AI Act is now in force, and the Data Act will also come into effect in September 2025. This will bring about significant ...
The talents of neurodivergent pupils and students are often lost because they are not sufficiently recognised. More than ...