Many professors at universities are trying to find new ways to keep students away from artificial intelligence addiction and maintain their ability to think critically.
Some of them even express open frustration with tools like ChatGPT, saying that technology is fundamentally changing the way students read, write, and learn.
Stanford University literature professor Lea Pao is experimenting with more “analog” teaching methods. She asks students to memorize poems, recite in public, and visit museums to directly describe their experiences. The goal is to bring them back to the physical experience of learning and avoid using artificial intelligence to complete tasks.
However, this doesn’t always work. In one case, she asked students to visit a museum and write about a painting they had seen for 10 minutes. One student submitted a very neat essay, but without any personal reflection. It later turned out that he had gone to the museum on a day when it was closed and had used AI to write the assignment.
Fears for the future of the humanities
While many researchers in the natural and social sciences see AI as a tool that increases productivity and aids in data analysis, professors in the humanities are more skeptical. They worry that the technology could weaken students' basic skills to read, analyze, and synthesize ideas.
Literature professor Dora Zhang from the University of California Berkeley says that discussing AI with students is now not just about plagiarism or academic integrity, but about a bigger question: what is this technology doing to humanity.
Even professor and writer Michael Clune warns that some students already have serious difficulties reading and analyzing long texts.
Universities embrace technology
However, many universities are increasingly investing in artificial intelligence. Some have created AI study programs or integrated the technology into almost every department.
Several institutions have entered into partnerships with OpenAI for research projects, while other universities are developing new study programs in this field.
This situation has created a paradox for professors: on the one hand, universities are promoting the use of AI, while on the other hand they are faced with students submitting essays created within seconds by a machine.
Attempts to limit use
To maintain academic integrity, some professors have begun using new assessment methods: oral exams, handwritten notes, class discussions, and transparency statements where students explain their work process.
Some even place random words in assignments to detect whether students have directly entered the instructions into a chatbot.
However, surveys show that up to 92% of students have used artificial intelligence in their academic work.
Students are also becoming skeptical
Despite its widespread use, some professors say students are increasingly concerned about the impact of technology on their lives. Some feel like they are part of a grand social experiment.
According to the professors, the main challenge is not just technology, but preserving fundamentally human qualities: creativity, reflection, and the ability to think independently.
In the end, as one professor says: technology may be unstoppable, but people can still choose how they want to live and learn – and decide to remain human. /GazetaExpress/
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