Does AI belong at FSU?

By Izayah Morgan Opinions Editor Throughout modern history, new technology has created a polarization between the people who support it and people who don’t. Whether it was the creation of the calculator or the invention of the internet, we feared these devices would compromise our creativity or make us lazy. But both technologies failed to replace mathematicians and engineers. However, they created new jobs to maintain and improve upon these technologies. AI is, without a doubt, a revolutionary invention, and people are divided on its benefits and shortcomings. The technology uses massive amounts of water, and data centers are often constructed in underserved cities, which triggers controversy. AI also presents many positives as well, with advancements in business and the healthcare and financial industries. It results in sped-up medical diagnoses, improved security enhancement, and around the clock virtual care - all of which potentially reduce human error. New technologies have always had a deep influence on how we teach. AI has not created a new breed of academic dishonesty, but created new tools for people who were already going to take advantage of the system. People who want to cheat will find a way to circumvent rules and regulations, and if it’s by using AI tools, they’ll do it. However, these challenges tend to drown out any conversation of the potential benefits AI may have to students, whether it is helping them when tutoring is not available or automating mundane tasks so educators and administrators can focus on what matters, which is supporting and educating students. One of the downsides of the American education system is that we put an emphasis on memorization and regurgitation through mandated tests for grades that may determine our future, rather than learning and connecting with what we have previously studied. This creates a dangerous system in which you either fail and set your life back or cheat this one time and stay on track. Once you open that door to academic dishonesty, it gets easier to justify it. Additionally, from a student’s perspective, there seems to be no consistent policies dictating whether a class allows AI use. It largely seems to be up to professors to regulate. In part, I am glad as they can extend their autonomy even more into their class environments, which are more and more limited due to state mandates. However, it seems the educational debate is whether you can use AI or not, which doesn't help as students will just use AI tools secretly and the software used to detect AI often gives false positive flags. This turns into a game of policing AI use rather than actually engaging and educating about how to use it properly. On the other hand, we can’t use AI to solve every problem in the classroom as this is the antithesis of what we want to strive for in education, which is free thought. Some people believe AI is making us lazy, some believe it is the future, some really have no opinion at all, and some are afraid to take a stand due to how highly polarized the debate has become. AI is a tool used by people with a range of intentions - from good to bad. Technologies are tools, and depending on who holds the power to access them, they can widen or narrow the gap between people with privilege and already disenfranchised individuals. Coming from an underserved community myself, I can say without a doubt that new technologies have allowed me to close that gap. If we are going to allow AI tools, then there needs to be a coherent standard in place so students maintain academic integrity and transparency with their instructors. This technology is likely going nowhere as tech just doesn’t disappear. But we can create rules and guidelines, which can guide students and ensure bad actors are regulated properly. I hope Framingham State University and other educational institutions in Massachusetts can respond accordingly. Massachusetts is the number one state for education for a reason. We don't run from things we don't understand. We learn about them and educate ourselves.