Stephen Downes

It's like we're asking the same question over and over again. Maybe they can be reframed? Marc Watkins begins with the ethical perspective, but looks at whether institutions should buy AI tools from three different perspectives: would students even use the tools (or would they distrust them); would students use their own AI to bypass institutional guardrails; and why would institutions use a tool that would eliminate the positions they are preparing students for? "Institutions like Gonzaga University," writes Watkins, "are making AI part of their core curriculum by putting it in conversation with their institutional values." Specifically, "Because a commitment to inquiry and discernment serves as the foundation of our core curriculum, our students will engage with AI in ways that are both practical and critical." That makes sense, but there's also the risk that this is just wishful thinking.