AI Education

Cornerstone University has launched the President’s Artificial Intelligence Advisory Board, a new initiative aimed at guiding the university in its integration of artificial intelligence across all aspects of student experience and operations. The board brings together distinguished leaders from technology, industry, and higher education to provide strategic counsel, technical insight, and ethical grounding for Cornerstone’s AI endeavors.

The launch was announced on Saturday through an exclusive with FOX News, highlighting the university’s commitment to being at the forefront of AI adoption in Christian higher education. According to Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño, president of Cornerstone University, ‘Artificial intelligence is the most revolutionary technology in human history.’ He emphasized that it has already impacted every aspect of life and is reshaping fundamental aspects of the human experience.

Cornerstone’s President’s AI Advisory Board will focus on providing a comprehensive framework for understanding and utilizing AI within a Christian context. The goal is to prepare students to harness AI for the flourishing of all, as stated by Dr. Moreno-Riaño. This initiative reflects Cornerstone’s mission to educate tomorrow’s Christian influencers – graduates who are market-ready, morally grounded, and equipped to lead in industry and ministry.

The board brings together a diverse group of experts with expertise spanning artificial intelligence, industry innovation, ethics, workforce development, and emerging technologies. Founding members include Dr. Robert J. Marks, Senior Fellow/Director of the Bradley Center for Natural & Artificial Intelligence at Discovery Institute and Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Baylor University.

Dr. Don Barger, Director of Innovation and Artificial Intelligence for the International Mission Board, is also part of the board. Additionally, David Copps, CEO and Co-founder of Worlds, Dr. Angus J. L. Menuge, Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Concordia University Wisconsin, Dr. William A. Dembski, Founding Senior Fellow of Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture and Distinguished Scholar for Mathematics and Philosophy at Cornerstone University, Dr. Onsi Fakhouri, Software Architect, Technology Executive, and Scientific Researcher with Haiku Creations, and Jonathan Swindell, Ph.D. Candidate, Baylor University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering are all members.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated across industries, employers will seek individuals who possess expertise in applying technology to solve problems and create opportunities. Cornerstone is preparing students for this need by emphasizing the importance of a Christian worldview framework when utilizing AI. The university’s Applied Artificial Intelligence Certificate program is designed to help students develop AI fluency and workplace-ready skills.

The certificate program focuses on practical, hands-on learning experiences that emphasize how AI is applied across various fields such as communication, leadership, research, decision-making, and professional environments. Unlike many other AI programs, Cornerstone’s emphasis is on the Christian worldview framework for understanding and using AI. This approach aims to equip students with both technical skills and moral grounding.

Dr. Robert Marks will serve as co-chair of the President’s AI Advisory Board alongside Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño. As a senior fellow and director of the Bradley Center, Marks has extensive experience in AI research and development. He is also a fellow of several prestigious organizations including the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Optica, and the Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association.

Dr. Marks expressed his excitement about being part of Cornerstone’s initiative to integrate AI within a Christian context. ‘An education that ignores artificial intelligence leaves students ill-equipped for the modern world,’ he stated. He emphasized that an education must address both technical skills and moral grounding when it comes to AI adoption, particularly in a Christian higher education setting.

The President’s AI Intelligence Advisory board and AI certificate reflect Cornerstone University’s commitment to being The Destination of Choice for Christian Higher Education. This initiative demonstrates the university’s dedication to preparing graduates who are equipped to lead in industry and ministry while navigating one of the most significant technological shifts in human history.

The training of correctional officers in digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a crucial aspect of modernizing public institutions worldwide. In line with this trend, UNESCO Dar es Salaam partnered with the Zanzibar Correctional Facility to conduct a three-day Capacity-Building Programme on 21st Century Skills, Digital Pedagogy, Practical Digital Tools, and AI for correctional officers in July 2026.

The programme brought together 32 correctional officers from various departments within the institution. These included Administration and Management, Rehabilitation and Programmes, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Custody and Operations, and the ZCF Training College. This diverse representation reflects the institution’s commitment to embedding digital competencies across its workforce.

Commissioner of the Zanzibar Correctional Facility, Col. Khamis Bakari Khamis, opened the programme by expressing his appreciation for UNESCO’s facilitation. He described the initiative as timely and essential in strengthening the digital transformation of correctional services. Commissioner Khamis encouraged participants to apply the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the programme.

The three-day training focused on interactive presentations, practical demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and collaborative learning activities covering emerging digital competencies. Sessions included 21st Century Skills, digital workplace productivity, cyber safety, prompt engineering, AI-assisted research, responsible AI use, detection of AI-generated media, knowledge management using AI, and offline AI solutions suitable for secure institutional environments.

A distinguishing feature of the programme was its emphasis on practical application. Participants worked directly with various AI-powered tools to learn how they could improve report writing, official correspondence, information analysis, digital content verification, planning, and organizational efficiency while maintaining human oversight and ethical decision-making.

Participants demonstrated notable improvements in their confidence and ability to use digital technologies and AI in their daily work. They reported gaining practical skills that would enable them to streamline administrative processes, support evidence-based decision-making, and enhance the delivery of correctional and rehabilitation services.

One participant noted: ‘I can now write project proposals and reports with AI assistance and detect AI-generated media.’ This training has strengthened my professional skills and increased my capacity to perform duties more effectively. Participants also developed departmental action plans identifying practical opportunities to integrate newly acquired digital and AI competencies into their respective areas of work.

The programme resulted in the production of a reusable UNESCO training package and practical learning resources that can support future capacity-building initiatives within the Zanzibar Correctional Facility. This initiative forms part of UNESCO’s broader efforts to advance digital transformation and responsible AI use across education and public institutions in Tanzania.

UNESCO remains committed to supporting national efforts to strengthen digital competencies, promote ethical AI use, and foster innovation contributing to inclusive and sustainable development. As Tanzania continues its digital transformation agenda, the skills acquired through this programme will support institutional innovation, improve operational efficiency, and enhance correctional services delivery in Zanzibar.

A group of high school students recently spent the day learning about artificial intelligence and its applications in various industries. The AES AI Camp, held at Wright State University’s Raj Soin College of Business, provided an introduction to the fundamentals of machine learning and data science through interactive workshops and collaborative challenges.

The camp was sponsored by the AES Ohio Foundation and aimed to give students a hands-on understanding of how artificial intelligence is transforming businesses and creating new career opportunities. Participants explored concepts behind AI and neural networks while building their own AI models, gaining practical experience in developing AI-driven solutions for real-world problems.

Throughout the day, students worked together on projects that showcased the potential of machine learning jobs to solve complex issues. For example, they developed AI-powered solutions for healthcare and agriculture, demonstrating how these technologies can be applied across different sectors.

One student, Hannah Sisco from Fairborn High School, noted that she had learned about various applications of artificial intelligence in fields such as healthcare and agriculture. Her experience at the camp highlighted the versatility of AI tools for business, which are increasingly being used to drive innovation and efficiency.

The camp’s curriculum is constantly evolving due to the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence research. John Dinsmore, a professor of marketing and interim chair of the School of Supply Chain, Marketing and Management, led a session on AI ethics, emphasizing the need for ongoing education and adaptation in this field.

At the end of the camp, each student received a certificate recognizing their participation and newly developed skills in artificial intelligence. This recognition not only acknowledged their hard work but also provided them with a tangible outcome from their experience at the AES AI Camp.

A growing number of Maryland colleges are introducing new majors and programs focused on artificial intelligence, reflecting a nationwide trend that has seen a significant increase in AI-related studies. According to research by Carla Brodley, dean of inclusive computing at Northeastern University, there’s been a 36% rise in AI majors between December and June this year. This surge corresponds with the increasing use of AI among college students, who are now more likely than ever before to encounter it in their coursework.

A recent study conducted by the Lumina Foundation-Gallup found that 57% of college students use AI at least weekly, while one in five reported using it daily. As a result, Maryland universities have begun to adapt and offer specialized programs to meet this growing demand for skilled professionals who can navigate the complexities of artificial intelligence.

Lisa Meeden, a computer science professor with over three decades of experience studying robot learning, believes that majoring in AI is not necessarily the best approach. Instead, she advocates for students to pursue a degree in computer science and take classes on artificial intelligence as part of their curriculum. According to Meeden, this allows students to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying theory and foundation upon which AI is built.

However, Maryland universities are forging ahead with new majors despite these concerns. The University of Maryland has announced two bachelor’s degrees in partnership with the Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland. One major focuses on human-centered artificial intelligence, teaching students how to critically evaluate the ethical implications of AI technologies and analyze systems for biases. Class offerings include ‘Gender, Race and Computing,’ ‘Privacy, Security and Ethics for Big Data,’ and ‘Designing Fair Systems.’

Students can choose to specialize in themes like arts, ethics, or law, policy, and governance. The university’s website highlights the degree as suitable for those interested in pursuing careers in various fields that require a scientific understanding of AI along with its ethical, social, and cultural impact. These include business, education, government, law, medicine, policy, or any other field.

The second new major is a bachelor’s in computational structures for AI systems, where students learn to build AI systems and algorithms from the ground up. Alyssa Ryan, program director at the Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute, emphasized that over 250 faculty members are involved in AI research and aim to train the next generation of students on how to develop technology that uplifts people and society.

Morgan State University has also announced a new major in artificial intelligence beginning this fall, adapted from its previous cloud computing program. Unlike traditional lecture-based instruction, each AI and machine-learning course will include hands-on projects developed by faculty and students. This approach gives students competitive portfolios for internships and careers, said Paul Wang, professor of computer science at Morgan State.

Students participating in these courses have already completed research projects on AI bias toward students with lighter skin tones and used artificial intelligence to map out Baltimore’s air quality through the lens of income and race. Some of Wang’s students have secured internships at Google, JPMorgan, and Bloomberg, while others have landed full-time jobs at Microsoft, Uber, and Oracle.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), is also expanding its AI offerings with a master’s degree program this fall. Graduates will be equipped to tackle complex AI-related problems, according to the university. Students enrolled in the program will gain access to federally funded research programs through agencies like the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

Classes for the UMBC program include ‘Principles of Artificial Intelligence,’ where students learn about search algorithms, logical reasoning, and machine learning, as well as ‘Computer Vision,’ which teaches techniques for enabling computers to interpret and understand visual information. Mohamed Younis, a professor of computer science and electrical engineering at UMBC, noted that interest in AI has grown exponentially over the past few years.

Younis stated that the university is developing a bachelor’s program in artificial intelligence as well, with plans to contribute significantly to the workforce. The introduction of these new programs marks an exciting development for Maryland colleges, which are now better equipped than ever before to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in AI-related fields.

South Dakota State University has received approval from the South Dakota Board of Regents to offer a new program in artificial intelligence engineering. The Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering will start offering Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and doctoral degrees in AI engineering starting fall 2026.

The program aims to equip students with the analytical, computational, hardware, and ethical foundations needed to design intelligent technologies that learn from data and support human decision-making. This comprehensive education will prepare graduates for technical and leadership roles in the modern AI workforce.

According to Provost Dennis Hedge, progression through these degrees aligns with student goals of learning and application at the undergraduate level, increased specialization at the master’s level, and discovery and innovation at the doctoral level. With a strong foundation in artificial intelligence and engineering design, graduates will be prepared to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges.

The program supports South Dakota’s growing workforce needs, particularly in areas such as precision agriculture, intelligent sensing, power systems, and advanced manufacturing. The state currently has 10,000 computer-related jobs, with roughly 7,800 positions directly connected to AI and cybersecurity.

Sanjeev Kumar, dean of the Lohr College, expressed gratitude for the Regents’ approval, stating that it reinforces the college’s commitment to train innovative problem-solvers and advance cutting-edge research. As AI continues to reshape the world, graduates will be at the forefront of technological innovation and responsible leadership.

The new program is aligned with SDSU’s land-grant mission and supports its strategic plan, Pathway to Premier 2030, as well as its Research 1 ambitions. By providing accessible, high-quality education in a rapidly advancing field, the program prepares students to meet South Dakota’s growing workforce demand.

Additionally, the program builds on SDSU’s strengths in AI research and its nationally recognized leadership in real-world, high-impact domains. Through integrated education, research, and engagement, the program advances SDSU’s mission to foster innovation, drive economic development, and improve the quality of life for South Dakotans.

The growing demand for machine learning jobs is a pressing issue nationwide, with projections showing roughly 129,000 openings per year for software developers, analysts, and testers. Software developers alone are projected to grow 16% nationwide and 27% in South Dakota, highlighting the need for interdisciplinary engineering preparation rather than narrow software-only training.

The program will support students in developing skills that integrate AI into operational systems, addressing a significant gap in the workforce. By investing in this forward-looking education, SDSU is preparing the next generation of engineers who not only understand AI technologies but are ready to lead innovation in an increasingly AI-driven world.

Manhattan University is set to launch a minor in artificial intelligence this fall, providing students across various disciplines with structured instruction on how intelligent systems work and their responsible application. The new program draws on the strengths of all three schools within the university: the Kakos School of Arts and Sciences, the O’Malley School of Business, and the School of Engineering.

The development of the minor was a collaborative effort between faculty members from computer science, computer information systems, business analytics, accounting, law, and electrical, computer, and mechanical engineering. This interdisciplinary approach ensures that students gain a comprehensive understanding of AI fundamentals, including its capabilities and limitations.

According to Bridget Chalk, Ph.D., provost of Manhattan University, ‘Artificial intelligence touches every discipline, and our students deserve more than a surface-level familiarity with it.’ The minor is designed to provide students in any major - from business to engineering to the liberal arts - with a genuine understanding of how AI works and its responsible application.

The minor’s curriculum includes upper-level courses in areas such as machine learning, data mining, deep learning, generative AI, trustworthy AI, image processing, and AI applications in business and engineering design. To accommodate students with varying levels of programming experience, tailored pathways are available to ensure the program is both accessible and academically rigorous.

Consistent with Manhattan University’s Lasallian mission, the minor also challenges students to consider the ethical and societal implications of artificial intelligence. This involves not only understanding what intelligent systems can do but also what they should do in various contexts.

The availability of AI tools for business will be a key aspect of the program, as students learn how to apply AI responsibly in their fields. Additionally, the minor’s focus on machine learning jobs and the development of skills necessary for these roles is expected to prepare graduates well for the job market.

Manhattan University has a long history of providing high-quality education, dating back to its founding in 1853 as an independent Lasallian Catholic institution located in Riverdale, NY. The university’s mission emphasizes student-centered learning and prepares graduates for lives of personal development, professional success, civic engagement, and service to their fellow human beings.

The minor is set to launch in fall 2026, with more information available on the university’s website.

Morgan State University has announced the launch of a new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence degree program, designed to prepare students for the rapidly evolving demands of an AI-driven economy. The undergraduate program is offered by the School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences at Morgan State University, reflecting the accelerating influence of artificial intelligence across every sector of the global economy.

The introduction of this new degree program marks a significant advancement in Morgan’s academic offerings, aligning with emerging technologies and evolving workforce demands. As advances in artificial intelligence continue to reshape the technology landscape, the University adapted its former Bachelor of Science in Cloud Computing program to place AI at its center, creating a curriculum that prepares students to design, develop, and responsibly deploy intelligent systems across various industries.

The new degree program arrives as employers across virtually every sector seek professionals capable of designing, deploying, and responsibly managing AI technologies. Students enrolled in the program will study AI models and intelligent agents, AI-driven cybersecurity, AI applications in cloud computing, and quantum machine learning, while building strong foundations in programming, mathematics, data science, and computational theory.

The curriculum combines rigorous technical instruction with project-based learning, undergraduate research, and real-world AI applications that prepare graduates for careers in artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, robotics, cloud computing, data science, and related fields. Unlike traditional lecture-based instruction, every AI and machine learning course offered by Morgan incorporates hands-on projects developed by the University’s faculty and students.

Students will gain practical experience solving real-world challenges while building competitive portfolios for internships, graduate study, and careers with leading technology organizations. The program also emphasizes the ethical development of AI, addressing issues such as fairness, bias, privacy, transparency, security, and the creation of trustworthy intelligent systems. Students will receive personalized support from faculty mentors, graduate students, and an AI-powered advising platform developed within the Department of Computer Science.

According to Shuangbao Wang, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science, ‘Artificial intelligence has fundamentally changed the direction of computing.’ Rather than simply updating an existing curriculum, Morgan State University reinvented the entire program to ensure students graduate with the knowledge and experience required to lead in an AI-first world.

The new degree program integrates the strengths of 18 artificial intelligence courses offered by the Department of Computer Science into a cohesive undergraduate curriculum focused exclusively on artificial intelligence and its rapidly expanding applications. The curriculum introduces advanced topics, including reinforcement learning, agentic AI for cyber threat detection and analysis, natural language processing, and quantum machine learning.

The launch of this degree program demonstrates Morgan’s commitment to aligning academic excellence with the technologies and industries shaping tomorrow’s workforce. As Paul B. Tchounwou, Ph.D., dean of the School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, noted, ‘As artificial intelligence continues to influence scientific discovery, healthcare, business, government, and virtually every other aspect of society, our students must graduate with the technical expertise, critical thinking skills, and ethical perspective necessary to become innovators, researchers, and leaders in this transformative era.’

Morgan State University’s new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence degree program is designed to equip graduates with the knowledge and experience required to succeed in an AI-driven economy. The program combines rigorous technical instruction with project-based learning, undergraduate research, and real-world AI applications.

The introduction of both offerings underscores Morgan’s broader commitment to designing academic programs that anticipate workforce trends while responding to the evolving needs of employers and society. As two of the University’s fastest-growing academic units, the School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences and the Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management continue expanding opportunities that position Morgan graduates to compete — and lead — in the innovation economy.

The new degree program is a significant advancement in Morgan State University’s vision as a leading public urban research institution. With its investments in artificial intelligence accelerating across research, teaching, and infrastructure, the University prepares students for careers that increasingly demand technological fluency, interdisciplinary thinking, and adaptable leadership.

Morgan State University was founded in 1867 and is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 150 baccalaureate, master’s degree, doctorate, and certificate programs. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many students as possible.

The introduction of this new degree program is part of Morgan State University’s broader efforts to prepare graduates for careers in an AI-driven economy. With its emphasis on project-based learning, undergraduate research, and ethical AI development, the program prepares students not only to use intelligent technologies but also to create them responsibly.

At the forefront of innovation in education, a significant development has taken place with the launch of ATL Saathi. This is a web application powered by Gemini, designed to provide educators at Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) with a 24/7 planning and training assistant. The tool aims to transform these labs into AI-Augmented Discovery Labs, marking a crucial step towards leveraging technology in education.

The initiative builds upon the existing work of ATL, which has been providing access to new technologies such as 3D printing, IoT, and robotics for over 1.1 crore students across India. However, with this new development, the focus shifts from mere access to physical lab infrastructure to driving meaningful outcomes like accelerated innovation and enhanced learning metrics.

The collaboration between Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Google DeepMind has been instrumental in bringing about this change. During the AI Impact Summit in February 2026, it was announced that Google would help incorporate robotics and coding into local curricula, integrate Gemini thoughtfully into teacher workflows, and build a safely guardrailed AI assistant for students grounded in national curriculum standards.

According to experts, behind every good student is a great teacher. This understanding has guided the efforts of both AIM and Google in developing ATL Saathi. The tool’s primary goal is to support educators by streamlining their workload and providing them with the necessary tools and digital skills required for today’s classrooms.

The development process involved close collaboration between AIM, NITI Aayog, and Google. This ensured that the tool was grounded in teacher needs, accurately reflected ATL’s educational principles and pedagogy, and created genuine value for ATL educators. The result is a comprehensive platform designed to empower teachers and enhance student learning outcomes.

ATL Saathi boasts several key features that make it an invaluable resource for educators. Firstly, it provides streamlined onboarding and content curation through NotebookLM. This ensures that educators always have access to the most up-to-date content, including summarized modules, AI-generated infographics, video overviews, and interactive quizzes for 12 core modules from the ATL prescribed curriculum.

This micro-learning approach replaces lengthy videos, allowing teachers to quickly familiarize themselves with complex topics. Additionally, the tool offers advanced project generation capabilities through its ‘Push & Pull’ mentorship feature. For 10 core modules, teachers can access an interface that supports both generating project ideas and providing detailed experiments for students who bring their own problem statements.

Multilingual accessibility is another significant aspect of ATL Saathi. Educators can interact with the assistant in their preferred language, which responds and generates materials accordingly. Currently, the tool supports 8 languages, with flexibility to add more as needed.

The underlying intelligence powering ATL Saathi comes from Gemini, a model that creates concise instructional materials, including AI infographics, video overviews, and interactive quizzes for core curriculum modules. This helps teachers navigate complex training materials seamlessly and adopt micro-learning content efficiently.

Looking ahead, the initial rollout of ATL Sahti will involve 100 pilot schools across India. The aim is to see significant reductions in administrative load, higher efficiency, and an increased readiness among educators to help students tinker and innovate. By shifting the burden of administrative overhead and curriculum translation onto AI, educators can focus on what they do best: mentor, inspire, and guide.

The future holds promise for Indian education with ATL Saathi at its forefront. As technology continues to play a vital role in shaping educational outcomes, this tool is poised to make a significant impact.

A growing number of students, educators, and parents across the country are turning to artificial intelligence tools for help with schoolwork. According to a national survey conducted over the past year, this trend is also evident in Nebraska classrooms. However, research suggests that AI use varies widely depending on factors such as location, income level, and school policies.

The Pew Research Center’s 2025 survey found that more than half of teenagers reported using chatbots for information or help with assignments. A significant majority of these teens – 59% – believed students frequently used AI chatbots to cheat. Parents’ views were divided: while some 51% said their teen uses a chatbot, others expressed concerns about the potential risks.

Parents surveyed by Pew Research Center generally approved of using AI for informational purposes or entertainment but opposed its use for casual conversation or emotional support. This ambivalence reflects broader debates around AI’s role in education and society. As schools increasingly incorporate data analysis tools into their curriculum, questions arise about how to balance benefits with potential risks.

Research conducted by the Center for Democracy and Technology identified four key concerns: data breaches and ransomware attacks, tech-enabled harassment and bullying, malfunctioning AI systems, and problematic interactions between students and technology. Despite these warnings, 85% of schools surveyed reported using AI in some capacity during the 2024-25 school year.

School policies are shifting to accommodate this trend, with many institutions permitting AI use while also implementing safeguards against potential risks. However, teachers’ attitudes toward AI vary widely depending on their experience and comfort level with these tools. The Center for Democracy and Technology found that educators who used AI more frequently were more likely to see its benefits.

Interestingly, students whose schools made extensive use of AI reported feeling a greater distance from their teachers. This finding highlights the need for nuanced consideration of how AI affects student-teacher relationships and overall educational outcomes. As Nebraska Public Media News continues to explore this complex issue, we invite readers to share their thoughts on the role of artificial intelligence in education.

If you’re interested in contributing your insights or have questions about our reporting process, please contact Jolie Peal at [email protected].

A growing number of students are using tools that can humanize AI-generated text, a response to the increasing difficulty in distinguishing between legitimate and illegitimate uses of artificial intelligence in academic writing. This trend has emerged on college campuses where ChatGPT has become widely used since its launch.

The question of whether students should use AI for their assignments is no longer relevant; what’s happening instead is that institutions are playing catch-up with technology that’s improving faster than the policies around it. The reality is that many students are already using AI, and academic integrity offices are struggling to keep pace.

It’s essential to acknowledge that submitting work that isn’t yours and claiming it as original has always been wrong and continues to be so. However, the category of ‘work that isn’t yours’ has become increasingly complex, with various gradations of ethical considerations.

A student who uses AI to generate an outline but then writes their own essay from it is doing something different from one who pastes a prompt into ChatGPT and submits the raw output unchanged. Similarly, a student who uses AI as a research tool to understand a concept before explaining it in their own words has done something distinct.

The ethical nuances matter, and pretending that AI use is either ‘not happening’ or ‘always cheating’ doesn’t serve students well. Instead of dismissing these complexities, we need to have open discussions about the various ways students are using AI for academic purposes.

Some students genuinely view AI as a research tool, leveraging it to quickly grasp complex concepts before delving into primary sources. Others use AI to draft and then significantly rewrite their work. A smaller group submits raw AI output in hopes of avoiding detection.

The problem lies with Turnitin and similar tools that are increasingly unable to distinguish between these cases. They flag elevated AI probability scores on a paragraph, regardless of whether the student actually wrote it themselves after internalizing the concept from multiple AI explanations.

These probabilistic tools can mistakenly flag students who have clear writing styles as potential cheaters, even when their work is genuinely theirs. This has led to real problems, including contested grades and formal academic proceedings based on disputed evidence.

In this environment, students using AI in any capacity are seeking ways to protect themselves from false accusations. Tools that humanize AI-generated text have found a significant user base among these students, who want to ensure their work is evaluated on its merits rather than statistical models’ guesses about its origins.

One common scenario involves a student using AI for the first draft of an assignment and then rewriting it substantially with their own examples and analysis. They submit this revised work but receive a high AI probability score due to structural similarities between the original AI-assisted draft and the final submission.

This situation highlights the gap between students’ understanding of their work’s authenticity and professors’ reliance on detection tools. By using humanizers, students aim to remove the ‘fingerprints’ of AI assistance from their process, allowing instructors to focus on evaluating the actual content rather than statistical probabilities.

The question remains whether this approach is appropriate; it likely depends on specific academic contexts, instructor communication about acceptable AI use, and the extent to which students contribute to their final work. These are conversations that need to happen more explicitly between students and instructors but often don’t.

What’s frequently lost in discussions around detection and humanization is the fundamental purpose of written assignments: to help students develop their thinking, practice articulating ideas, and demonstrate what they understand. AI can short-circuit this process if used as a means to avoid genuine intellectual effort rather than support it.

A student who uses an AI humanizer solely for cosmetic purposes hasn’t truly learned anything; in contrast, one who employs such tools to refine work that genuinely reflects their own thinking is doing something distinct and potentially valuable. The distinction between these two scenarios requires explicit human judgment, not reliance on detection tools or probabilistic models.

The institutions, instructors, and students navigating this landscape will have to make these judgments explicitly rather than pretending the question doesn’t exist. Technology has provided us with tools that work; what we do with them is still up for debate.

Fresno State University is responding to the growing demand for artificial intelligence skills in the workforce by launching a new minor program. The university’s Department of Computer Science has developed this 20-21 unit minor, which will be available to students across all disciplines starting this fall.

The minor is designed to equip students with a deeper understanding of how AI can be applied within their chosen fields of study. According to Dr. Alex Liu, chair of the Department of Computer Science, ‘this minor is for everybody’ who wants to gain knowledge about AI and its applications.

Fresno State already offers the necessary classes and has faculty expertise in place, making it a natural next step to formalize the program as a recognized minor. The four required courses will provide students with a solid foundation in AI principles, while one elective course allows for specialization within their chosen field.

The creation of this minor reflects growing employer demand for AI skills in the workforce. Dr. Liu noted that the Central Valley faces unique challenges and opportunities related to artificial intelligence, including agricultural automation, rural healthcare access, and workforce development.

Employers are increasingly recognizing the value of employees with AI-related knowledge and skills. By offering a formal minor program, Fresno State aims to provide students with a competitive edge in the job market. As Dr. Liu explained, ‘when it’s printed on their transcript or diploma, it makes a difference’.

The university is also responding to student interest in AI education. The new minor was developed in response to both employer demand and student enthusiasm for learning about artificial intelligence.

Fresno State officials see this program as part of the university’s broader vision for its role in emerging technologies. Dr. Liu stated that ‘we consider ourselves an AI hub of the Central Valley’, aiming to provide education, research, and solutions related to AI.

In addition to the new undergraduate minor, Fresno State offers an AI certificate program for community members who are not pursuing a degree at the university. This reflects the university’s commitment to making its expertise in AI accessible to a wider audience.

Students interested in adding the minor should meet with academic advisers early in the fall semester to determine how the coursework can fit into their academic plans.

A recent incident at Idaho State University highlights the limitations of AI detection tools. Chemistry undergraduate Lauren Jager had written her PhD application personal statement herself, but every tool she used to check for authenticity flagged it as almost 100 percent machine-generated. To pass the checks, she deliberately made her writing less polished and submitted a statement that she considered inferior to her original. She was later accepted into a PhD program at the University of Utah.

The experience reflects a growing crisis in academic integrity technology. Universities are deploying AI detection tools to police student submissions, but researchers have found these instruments to be unreliable, biased, and easily circumvented. A 2025 study on GPTZero, widely considered one of the most-used detectors, revealed a false-positive rate of around 16 percent on human-written essays.

Another study from 2023 showed that most AI detection tools performed inconsistently on human text and struggled more with output from advanced models like GPT-4 than older systems. Notably, even the US Declaration of Independence has been repeatedly flagged as between 95 and 100 percent machine-generated by these detectors.

Some experts argue that even reasonably accurate detectors should not be used in high-stakes decisions due to the risk of false positives. Mike Perkins, who researches AI’s impact on academia at British University Vietnam, warned that using such tools could lead to unfair outcomes for students. Marzena Karpinska from Simon Fraser University cautioned that while detectors can identify broad trends across large datasets, they cannot reliably determine individual authorship.

A particular concern is bias: a Stanford University study found that AI detectors incorrectly labelled more than half of essays written by non-native English speakers as machine-generated, with an average false-positive rate of 61.3 percent.

Artificial intelligence has become an integral part of education, capable of accurately summarizing novels, writing essays, solving math problems, and coding – all within seconds. However, a popular narrative online suggests that most college students use AI to automate their work and cheat. Middlebury College assistant economics professor Germán Reyes disputes this notion, citing research conducted with colleague Zara Contractor that reveals a more nuanced story about student AI use.

Reyes and Contractor’s two-part study aimed to understand how students are using AI, what they think they’re learning from it, and what they’re actually learning. The first part involved surveying Middlebury students from December 2024 to February 2025 about their AI use at school. The results showed that 80% of Middlebury students use AI for academic work, but surprisingly, the majority do so as an augmentation tool rather than automation.

Augmentation refers to working with the AI tool to enhance learning, whereas automation involves relying on the AI to do the work for you. Reyes describes this distinction as crucial in understanding how students are using AI. To verify their data and ensure its applicability to other educational scenarios, the research team asked Anthropic, the company behind the AI software Claude, about student usage patterns with college email addresses. The response confirmed that most students were using AI for ‘technical explanations,’ rather than automating work.

A comparison of Middlebury’s survey results with global data from over 50 countries further supported the notion that college students are not primarily using AI to automate their work. Reyes notes that higher education institutions need a deeper understanding of how AI is being used by students before creating policies about its use. He warns against banning AI altogether, as this could inadvertently harm students who benefit from it.

If some students are using AI to learn more and an institution decides to ban the technology due to concerns over its potential misuse, then those students who rely on AI for learning will be negatively impacted. Reyes emphasizes the importance of having a good understanding of ground-level facts when making policy decisions about AI use in education.

The second part of the study aimed to investigate how AI impacts learning. Contrary to expectations based on other research at the time, the findings revealed that students who used AI for augmentation purposes performed better than those without access to AI tools. However, it was not simply using AI that determined student performance – rather, it was how they used it.

Reyes and his colleagues found that when students automated AI to write their essays, they initially did well but ultimately underperformed compared to those who used AI for augmentation purposes. The researchers classified prompts as either augmentation or automation based on the conversations between students and the AI tool. They discovered that augmentation users had a smaller effect on the essay in week one but a larger impact in week two.

This suggests that relying on AI to do the work for you may provide short-term gains, but it comes at the cost of lower learning in the long run. Reyes stresses that the effects of AI largely depend on how students use the tools and explains why similar studies can have different outcomes. He believes that many people tend to be pessimistic about student AI usage, but when speaking with students, they reveal a nuanced and sophisticated understanding of both its benefits and drawbacks.

The study’s findings also highlight the importance of considering factors like grade inflation in educational settings. Reyes notes that if there is high grade inflation at an institution, ‘there is less value to augmentation because you need to differentiate yourself from all other students who also have a very high GPA.’ He suggests that this could lead students to use AI for automation purposes, which may ultimately hinder their learning.

Reyes and Contractor are currently finalizing their paper on the experimentation portion of their study. However, they plan to continue researching student AI usage in education, with plans to conduct another survey in 2026. They aim to explore new questions, such as whether students are paying for premium versions of AI assistants.

A new undergraduate minor in artificial intelligence (AI) is set to launch this fall at Virginia Tech, offering students from any major the opportunity to develop AI skills and literacy. The interdisciplinary program aims to equip graduates with a deep understanding of how these technologies work, enabling them to apply their knowledge responsibly across various fields of study and careers.

Bridgewater College is set to launch a new certificate program in artificial intelligence literacy, designed for students of all majors. The 12-credit certificate will be offered online through the Nolen School of Business and Professional Studies, with coursework completed remotely.

Boston College has received a significant donation from University Trustee Jason Krantz '95, P'23, and his wife Keely (Fitzgerald) Krantz '95, P'23, to establish the Krantz Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, and Humanity. The institute will focus on exploring the opportunities and implications of AI while addressing its potential dangers from a humanistic perspective.

Purdue University is taking the next step in its partnership with Google by providing access to Google Gemini Pro, an advanced AI platform. The university will begin issuing licenses to interested faculty and staff starting June 15.