Generative AI (GenAI) is swiftly reshaping the academic landscape, prompting higher education institutions to engage in discussions about how to effectively integrate the technology into their operations.
According to AI experts in industry and academia, IT departments are devising institution-wide strategies to leverage GenAI, while faculty members utilize it for grant applications and research initiatives. Meanwhile, students are turning to tools like ChatGPT to assist with writing papers and conducting their own research, marking a significant shift in academic practices.
“[GenAI] is all over the place and from industry to academia, we’re seeing extreme adoption and there is rapid innovation happening in this space … [And] we’re going to have to figure out a way to adopt this,” Ed Wozencroft, vice president for digital strategy and chief information officer for the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), said during a recent MeriTalk webinar.
However, according to Wozencroft, colleges and universities can be categorized into three groups regarding their approaches to AI.
The first group consists of front runners leading the way in researching and implementing AI capabilities. The second group includes institutions that are resistant to adopting AI technologies. Finally, there are institutions – like NJIT – that are taking decisive yet still-cautious steps toward utilizing AI.
“[Early on] NJIT came out with an AI guidebook for our faculty, and it wasn’t what we saw out of a lot of universities, which was, here’s how to catch cheaters and how to not use this in the classroom. We focus[ed] on, how do you embed this pedagogically into your curriculum?” Wozencroft said. “The reality [is] students are going to adopt [GenAI] regardless. So, we need to find a way to meet them where they are, as opposed to resist.”
Therefore, according to Wozencroft, the adoption of GenAI should begin with two key elements.
First, it involves educating the community about GenAI, focusing on ethical use and practical navigation of the technology. This includes discussions on prompt engineering and how to ask the right questions to obtain meaningful results. Second, it requires collaborating with the community to clearly define use cases, outlining what is acceptable and what should be avoided.
Wozencroft also explained that in adopting GenAI higher institutions must create flexible governance and guidance for the ethical use of these technologies, as they are constantly evolving.
“With great power comes great responsibility. So, we’re trying to help educate the community on the right responsible use,” Wozencroft said. “That really is the best practice for now because this is emerging so rapidly. And again, it gets to that individualized conversation on both the student and the faculty saying, ‘What is your goal? Where are you trying to go?’ But let us help arm you with the best use cases, the best practices here, rather than tell you how not to use it.”
Dr. Hernan Londono, AI strategist for Dell Technologies, echoed Wozencroft’s sentiments, emphasizing that higher education institutions should prioritize education over restriction in their response to GenAI. He also advocated for flexible policies and a growth mindset toward AI.
“We have not yet fully understood the impact of GenAI, and when considering this, stringent policies may create tension. A policy implemented today could quickly become outdated or inadequate as technology evolves,” Londono said.
He emphasized that institutions must remain open-minded about utilizing emerging technologies to support digital learning. Additionally, any governance or guidance created regarding acceptable, ethical, or responsible use must be flexible to adapt to the ever-changing landscape.
“We need to be addressing that moving target which is AI. And when that target moves, we don’t want to be sending messages to faculty, staff, and students that we’re doing something that is already outdated,” Londono said. “That creates a really bad taste in everybody’s mouth, and it creates additional work.”
For more insight, view the webinar on demand.
