AI’s Impact on Higher Education

Artificial intelligence (AI) is disrupting higher education in transformative ways, ranging from research innovation to classroom teaching. These changes bring to mind the early days of my career, when computer algebra systems were massively disrupting how we taught mathematics. One semester, I went “all in” on the technology. To my surprise, the students rebelled, and I received my worst teacher evaluations ever. Lesson learned! 

DU faculty have shared with me that many students feel an incredible pull to use AI for writing. They have also shared concerns about students forgoing source materials for AI-generated summaries. This, of course, makes the learning experience shallow and opens doorways to information that is incorrect or lacks critical nuance. In this new and daunting context, it is incumbent on us as educators to prepare our students for a life transformed by AI. This will be hard.  

However, we are prepared to tackle this challenge because of the creativity and prowess of our faculty. The good news is that a strong liberal arts education has always prepared students to navigate the complexity of the world. This age is no different. Strong critical thinking skills, curiosity, ethics, the ability to ask and answer difficult questions—these remain foundational.  

Even as AI potentially becomes more creative, analytical, computational, and entrepreneurial, our students will need these very same skills to succeed alongside its development, using AI as a helpful tool, not as a crutch or shortcut. This viewpoint is shared by others; increasingly, I am seeing articles make the case that the best way to prepare our students is through a strong liberal arts education. 

We can do this. I know many DU faculty are already exploring interesting ways to tackle the challenge. Two DU Forward projects, “Educating the Next Generation of Innovators in AI and Computing” and the “Center for Ethical Generative AI  Applications,” along with our Office of Teaching and Learning, will help faculty develop approaches, assignments, and practices that focus on the instructive use of AI. 

We will adapt, as we always have, but we cannot be naïve about the incredible impact this technology has on our classroom and our students. I know these conversations will continue, and I welcome the community’s thoughts on AI in the classroom, in your studies, and in our work.  

Sincerely, 

Jeremy Haefner 
Chancellor