AI is coming

This academic year, 2023-24, is one which will be marked by the presence of artificial intelligence in our classrooms. There is an imminent and very real threat of the illegitimate use of generative AI tools in academia, breaching the rules and principles that set the standards of honest behavior in educational institutions. All reputable academic institutions have embarked on a debate in order to understand the impact of AI and decide on the measures that must be taken to guarantee a healthy academic life, and the University of New York in Prague is no exception. We held a faculty training seminar to discuss the use of AI in class, and we created an AI Study Group that met during the summer to discuss the ways in which the use of AI should be considered in our institution. A list of recommendations for instructors was created, including the recommendation that all instructors should include a section on the use of AI in the syllabus.

The “AI question” is not a simple one. On the one hand, we can all see the dangers of a technology that allows us to complete elaborate written assignments without understanding a word of what has been produced. On the other hand, we know that these tools will be used in the future, and that a university education should be relevant to the students’ future professional careers. Therefore, banning AI outright because some students will misuse it is not an option. In my opinion, three principles should guide our choices:

The first principle is clarity. It is important for instructors to define the boundaries, in a very clear way, of what is acceptable and unacceptable in class. For each class, students must know the uses of AI that are permitted (or not) by the instructor. For this reason, it is crucial that each instructor must explicitly set out in the syllabus what is allowed and what is forbidden.

The second principle is innovation. Instructors should think of the opportunities that AI provides and try to make use of these opportunities in their classes. The incorporation of AI into class activities whenever it will have a positive effect will help us to increase the quality of the classes that we provide, thus helping students in their future transition to the professional world.

Finally, the third principle is openness. It is important that instructors engage in a debate with their students, and explain the rationale of their decision about AI in class. It was very interesting to hear the students’ opinions of the students, and it is my opinion that we will only be able to gain the students’ trust in our judgment if we are open, and if we explain the reasons behind our choices. I believe that this trust, more than any of the punitive measures that we might announce, is what will convince our students to use AI responsibly in a way that will help them to prepare themselves for the future.

Written by

Oscar Hidalgo-Redondo