“I don’t think AI is necessarily a bad thing, but people use it in ways that are untrustworthy.”
— Lehigh student Max Randall
AI plays an integral role on campus
Data Visualizations show how AI affects us
Students reflect on AI usage
‘An impediment to learning’
There is lots to be learned about artificial intelligence as it is developing constantly, especially in education and college settings. From professors to students, everybody has their own perspective on how AI should be used, how reliable it is, and what steps we should take to adapt to the increasing relevance of technology and power that AI has.
From the professional perspective of administrators at Kings College and surrounding universities, a talk was held to get opinions on the potential of AI to help students with writing, and the risk that it poses. Professors mainly believed that in terms of dealing with growing AI technology, their role is to educate students about ethical AI use (53%), while only 3% of participants believed that AI should not be used at all. This aligns with data from Lehigh University students and faculty, that AI should be integrated into the classroom, but used in a way that is effective without hindering student learning. Lehigh Professor George Witmer said if students use AI it should be used to help with tedious work. He said he designs oral exams so they can’t rely on AI to do their work for them.
“We want students to learn how to use it, but at the same time, it’s very easy to allow it to become an impediment to learning,” Witmer said.
While students and administrators agree that AI should be used to some capacity in schools, an Emerson College Poll showed that people in Pennsylvania believe there is a moderate threat by AI to humanity (40%). Students at Lehigh tend to agree with this, with evidence gathered directly from student interviews.
“I don’t think AI is necessarily a bad thing, but people use it in ways that are untrustworthy,” said first-year Max Randall.
Finally, from all of the data and interviews gathered, there are common uses for AI in school. The most frequent use among Lehigh students and Inside Higher Ed data is for writing assistance/brainstorming, or exam studies and explanations of topics. While this is the main reported use for AI, reporting bias may be a component in survey results, and AI is growing everyday to encompass more uses that will affect classrooms in the near future.