By Tamar Rabinovitz
Lately, the topic of artificial intelligence has come up in several of my classes. Each time I noticed the same uncomfortable pattern: my professors would acknowledge AI’s growing ubiquity, express vague concerns about academic integrity and then admit that they’d never really tried to learn how to use it. This surprised me because, as educators, it is part of their job to prepare students for life after college. Today, students are entering a world where AI is a central part of every field, and this trend will only continue to grow. Yet, many educators are approaching AI with fear and completely banning it instead of trying to figure out how to properly integrate it.
Consider what would have happened if educators had refused to learn about the internet when it first emerged and banned it from classrooms. We would have spent hours flipping through card catalogues and encyclopedias while the information was at our fingertips. Instead, teachers adapted. They learned to navigate the web and taught students how to conduct online research. They established standards for citing sources properly to ensure ethical use. Teachers did not stop teaching students research skills; rather, they adjusted them to account for evolving technology. They used the internet as a tool to help students rather than banning it completely.
The same pattern played out with calculators. Math teachers did not abandon teaching mathematical thinking; they simply eliminated tedious hand calculations. Although elementary level students still need to first learn foundational mathematical concepts without a calculator, afterward they can use a calculator as a tool to help solve higher level math problems. So why should we treat AI differently? Students can first learn fundamentals and then use AI as a helpful tool. For writing that might mean learning how to organize thoughts and develop arguments, and then using AI to help write an essay. Perhaps we should not look at AI any differently than a calculator, and follow the same proven approach of mastering foundations first, and then introducing tools to help.
AI can also be used as a tool to help students learn and study. AI models like ChatGPT and Claude can help brainstorm essay ideas, create practice tests and provide instant tutoring for free. Tools like NotebookLM can convert written notes into audio formats for students who learn better by listening. These aren’t shortcuts around learning; they’re ways to learn more effectively.
A lot of the hesitation comes from fear of change. The traditional classroom model is familiar, and disrupting it feels risky. Educators also worry that by allowing artificial intelligence to be used in their classes, students will no longer think for themselves. This concern has merit, but instead of banning AI completely, it should prompt us to ask: what skills are still valuable to learn, and which are no longer essential now that AI can do them for us? As new technology emerges, the skills needed for success change as well. Students need to learn how to analyze information critically, ask meaningful questions, think creatively and collaborate with AI the same way professionals already do.
I do not mean to criticize educators who have not yet discovered the power of artificial intelligence tools. Many are simply unaware of their potential or do not want to challenge the academic integrity of their classrooms. However, if we want to prepare students for a world where AI is everywhere in professional settings, we need educators to understand these tools well enough to teach students how to use them responsibly and effectively. The solution is not to ban artificial intelligence completely. It is for educators to learn how to use these tools, establish thoughtful policies that distinguish between ethical and unethical use and redesign their curriculums to incorporate AI, while teaching critical human skills of thinking, creativity and problem solving.
In five years from now, employers won’t be asking whether I can complete an assignment without AI. They will expect to see me thinking critically, solving problems and effectively using every tool at my disposal – including AI.
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