PROSPECTS FOR INTEGRATING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND NEW DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES INTO TERTIARY EDUCATION

The paper focuses on the issue of implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and online educational technologies into the sphere of higher education. Today AI is gradually penetrating into such spheres of human activity as medicine, business, science, journalism, entertainment, etc. The use of AI-driven programs and digital technologies is also observed in such conservative area of our life as education and the potential of AI to disrupt the educational sector is immense. Online educational platforms involve blended learning that promises to enhance education at all levels, especially by providing adaptive teaching. The key challenge is to best integrate human interaction and face-to-face learning with the latest digital educational technologies and resources. The topic is extremely relevant as today we should find new approaches to education in order to improve its quality and accessibility. Blended learning, based on the use of the latest digital technologies, is designed to solve these problems.Since the main purpose of the given research is to discuss the prospects for the introduction of digital educational technologies and online resources into the modern system of tertiary education, first, the author considers promising areas of AI application in education; then studies the current state of affairs in this field, names specific examples of existing digital programs, provides some information on the principles of operation and capabilities of such electronic platforms as Coursera and Moodle; conducts a survey among undergraduates in order to determine the attitude of students to the use of online platforms and identify their effectiveness in foreign language teaching; and finally considers the advantages and disadvantages of the new educational technology and identifies possible threat or benefit to the teaching profession.The data obtained as a result of an empirical study confirm the assumption that the use of online educational resources enhances motivation and cognitive activity of students, improves their self-study skills, provides an individualization of the learning process, and, on the whole, helps to have a thorough grasp of the subject.In conclusion, the author states that despite the fact that the scope of the use of online platforms and state-of-the-art technologies in the field of education is extensive, the truth is that none of these computer programs is remotely intelligent in the way that a human being is and none of the electronic educational resources can replace the process of cooperation between a student and a teacher. Therefore, all projects for the implementation of AI and digital educational resources into the modern system of higher education currently do not pose a direct threat to the profession of a teacher.