Exploring AI’s Impact on Higher Education
Thomas Feeney, associate professor of philosophy and director of the Master of Arts in Artificial Intelligence Leadership Program at the University of St. Thomas, recently shared his thoughts on artificial intelligence in a conversation with MPR News. His insights highlight the need for academic institutions to go beyond teaching students how to use AI tools—they must also help students understand the broader societal and ethical ramifications of these technologies.
Teaching AI Ethics in the Classroom
Feeney recounted a compelling experience from a summer AI ethics course he taught. He offered students the opportunity to use AI tools for their first writing assignment. What followed was a revealing moment that emphasized the importance of developing a critical understanding of AI’s capabilities and limitations.
“I had an interesting experience over the summer teaching an AI ethics class,” Feeney said. “You know plagiarism would be an interesting question in an AI ethics class … They had permission to use AI for the first written assignment. And it was clear that many of them had just fed in the prompt, gotten back the paper and uploaded that.”
Instead of approaching the situation with punitive measures, Feeney took a different route. “Rather than initiate a sort of disciplinary oppositional setting, I tried to show them, look, what you’ve produced is kind of generic,” he explained. “And this gave the students a chance to recognize that they weren’t there in their own work. This opened the floodgates.”
By encouraging students to reflect on the authenticity and originality of their AI-assisted work, Feeney was able to foster deeper engagement and learning.
Shifting the Focus from Tools to Impact
Feeney emphasized that institutions should place less emphasis on narrowly teaching students how to operate current AI interfaces. Instead, he advocates for a more holistic approach that encourages creativity, application, and social engagement through AI.
“I think the focus should be less on learning how to work with the interfaces we have right now and more on just graduate with a story about how you did something with AI that you couldn’t have done without it,” he said. “And then, crucially, how you shared it with someone else.”
Feeney’s perspective underscores the transformative potential of AI in individual learning journeys and collaborative innovation.
Preparing Students for a Future with AI
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into everyday life and work, Feeney believes that higher education must adapt. This means cultivating not only technical proficiency but also ethical awareness, critical thinking, and real-world application skills among students.
“We’re not just training students to use tools—we’re preparing them to be thoughtful, responsible leaders in a world where AI is ubiquitous,” he noted. “The goal is to graduate people who are not only proficient in leveraging AI but who also understand and can articulate the implications of its use.”
This future-oriented approach aligns with the mission of the University of St. Thomas’s AI Leadership Program, which aims to produce graduates who are equipped to navigate and influence an evolving technological landscape.
Rethinking Assessment and Integrity
Feeney’s classroom experience also raises important questions about academic integrity and assessment in the age of AI. By allowing students to use AI in their assignments, he was able to turn a potential ethical dilemma into a teachable moment that emphasized personal voice and originality.
“When students saw that their AI-generated text lacked individuality, it sparked deeper engagement,” he said. “They began to understand that education isn’t just about producing correct answers, but about expressing their own insights and ideas.”
This pedagogical shift reflects a broader trend in education toward more meaningful, student-centered learning experiences that integrate technology in thoughtful ways.
A New Story for a New Era
The central takeaway from Feeney’s insights is that AI should be used as a tool for empowerment, not just efficiency. Students should leave college with a narrative of innovation—how they used AI to create something new, solve a problem, or connect with others.
“If every graduate could tell a story of how they used AI to do something they couldn’t have done otherwise—and how they shared that with someone else—we’d be moving in the right direction,” Feeney concluded.
His vision is one where technology serves as a catalyst for human creativity, collaboration, and ethical leadership.
This article is inspired by content from Original Source. It has been rephrased for originality. Images are credited to the original source.