Academic integrity on the university level has always been a sticking point for faculty, but it has only heightened with the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in the modern world the last couple of years. It has already affected and reshaped different industries, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. AI is becoming an integral part of life in general, and it has reshaped classroom dynamics, the way students learn, and professors teach.
“It’s made us completely rethink academic integrity”
said Vice President for Academic Affairs Rich Aubrey
Because of its unlimited knowledge and learning capabilities, AI gives students a new way to expedite their studies.
“There are countless factors at play here, of course,” said Professor of English and Humanities Dr. Michael J. Blouin. “including a general sense of apathy, strong feelings of loneliness and alienation, and existential anxieties about the human race. I’m not convinced that AI has a meaningful place in the educational setting.”
Though the added convenience for everyday life is a promising idea on the horizon, the introduction of it poses a threat to basic human expression and their abilities.
“If an AI process offers a shortcut and doesn’t help to build conception skills or technical prowess — it’s a problem,” said Art Brown, Professor of Graphic Design. “It ultimately cheats the student out of knowledge, experience, and valuable practice they need to succeed in the field after graduation.”
Professor Brown isn’t the only member of the Milligan faculty that cited AI’s relationship to the human condition.
“I believe that AI deprives us of the essential elements of being human,” said Dr. Blouin. “including the struggle to articulate our thoughts and to make sense of the world around us.”
Despite some strong pushback from AI from one side of the faculty on campus, there are others who believe in its power as a tool and fully utilizing it.
“It’s here,” said Academic Dean Dr. Rich Aubrey when asked why he uses AI as a part of his curriculum in classes.
For some fields, AI has a direct influence on them and is already playing a critical role in their development and everyday use.
“AI is a core part of computer science and deeply embedded in many aspects of what we do,” said Professor of Computer Science Dr. Namyoun Choi. “It automates and optimizes existing tasks while also engaging new capabilities and applications that were previously impossible.”
Besides its stance on academic integrity, which is in strong opposition to AI’s use, Milligan and its faculty are split on their views. Some, like Dr. Choi and Dr. Aubrey, speak to the many advantages of AI in an educational setting, like personalized learning, automated grading, intelligent tutoring systems, predictive analytics, and language learning; all of which are helpful to both students and educators. Others, like Dr. Blouin and Professor Brown, believe in the academic process for students, regardless of the advantages it may bring.
“I think that experimentation needs to happen in the right environment and context,” said Brown. “but not at the expense of something else that is essential to the skillset students will need.”
Whatever the field or opinion, students should be curious when it comes to artificial intelligence and up to date with the new technology–since it may be an essential part of their careers–while also maintaining their academic duties at Milligan.
About The Author:
Gabrielle (Gabby) Jones is a sophomore from Elizabethton. She is a major in multimedia journalism and minor in filmmaking, and hopes to produce documentaries in the future.