Ohio State University (OSU) has announced an all-encompassing artificial intelligence (AI) program for its undergraduate class of 2029.
Launching this fall for first-year students, Ohio State’s AI Fluency initiative will embed AI education into the core of every undergraduate curriculum, equipping students with the ability to not only use AI tools, but to understand, question and innovate with them — no matter their major … [E]very Buckeye graduate will be fluent in AI and how it can be responsibly applied to advance their field … The plan aims to redefine the future of higher education, with a focus on academic excellence and a spirit of adaptability and innovation across the institution to meet the needs of the next generation.
I have written favorably about incorporating AI into the university classroom. (See my essays on the integration of AI here.) OSU’s decision to adopt this new technology and prioritize academic excellence exemplifies what many, including myself, hope for in reimagining a university education.
But.
There are important questions about what education entails, particularly in light of OSU’s claim of equal fluency for its students in AI and their field of study. Will the same skill set within their field of study remain equivalent to what it is now? Or will AI dilute it? That question needs to be asked for the overall student body as well as for disaggregated measures for specific fields and for students who have come from communities that have not fared as well as others. OSU would help those traveling this same adventure, as well as those who are refraining from it, by evaluating and reporting successes and failures.
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Universities often experience double-digit rates of student dropouts as well as higher rates of failure to complete college. How will making AI fluency—as a core aspect of the curriculum—affect this persistent institutional issue? Will AI fluency mask academic excellence by redefining knowledge and proficiency in each subject matter?
Will students see AI’s instrumentality in what seems proficiency undermine self-reliance in learning? Students sometimes learn by cheating; more problematic is when students accept AI replies as factually accurate. Seasoned educators generally know when AI replies require oversight and cross-checking; it is an open question whether, and to what extent, students will suffer the indignity of naivety in trusting AI.
And what are these students being prepared for?
OSU sees an economy that others imagine quite differently. OSU’s educational strategy is geared to an AI economy: “By integrating AI education across the curriculum, Ohio State will prepare the next generation to be not just consumers of AI technology, but also creators and innovators, ensuring they are well positioned to contribute to and lead in the AI-driven economy.”
AI is anticipated to redefine the economy, influencing governmental budgets and the distribution and number of jobs. There will be job losses, job gains, and job redefinition through collaboration between humans and AI. Educating for an AI future is a gamble, but seemingly an irresistible one.
We can expect nearly all institutions of higher learning to make the same calculations as OSU. Many will follow the same path as OSU.
We should not be surprised.
Image: “University Hall, Ohio State University” by Minh Nguyen on Wikimedia Commons
