Artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT are becoming more common in college classrooms, raising questions about how students should use them and where the line should be drawn. Professors say AI can be helpful, but only if it is used responsibly.

Scott Gericke, an assistant professor in Loyola’s Department of Design, has seen AI used mostly as a creative support tool. In design classes, he said AI can help students turn ideas into early mockups or visual examples.

“I’ve noticed helpful tools with writing and creating prototypes of ideas to get a message across,” Gericke said. 

He added that traditional methods like sketching are still important and have not been replaced.

Gericke does not have a formal policy on AI use in his classroom yet. He said the technology is still new to him, and he wants more time to understand how it fits into design education. However, he said honesty matters.

“I want my students to be open and honest about how and why they’re using AI,” he said.

While Gericke sees some benefits, he also has concerns. He worries that relying too much on AI could hurt students’ creativity over time, especially when it comes to brainstorming and developing original ideas. He also raised concerns about the environmental and labor impacts connected to AI technology.

“Overall, I am concerned with what I’m understanding about how communities are being devastated of resources by Data Centers that power AI technology; and by how AI firms are farming out low-paying jobs in less developed countries to people who have to keyword images of devastation, horror, carnage, and death,” he said.

In the political science department, Roger White, associate professor and department chair, said AI is becoming a bigger topic of discussion on campus.

“AI is a tool,” White said. “It can be used for good or bad purposes.”

When it comes to the future, White said the effects of AI depend on how it is used.

“If it enhances human ability, the effect is good,” he said. “If it replaces that ability, it’s bad.”

White said he personally uses AI Overview on Google when researching, but emphasized the importance of verifying information.

“I use AI Overview on Google, but check the sources to make sure they’re reliable,” he said.

While White has not noticed students using AI in his classes, he said he could see it being useful if applied thoughtfully.

“I can see using AI to contribute to class discussion,” he said.

White said the impact depends on how the technology is used.

“To the extent that it enhances human ability, the effect of AI is good,” he said. “To the extent AI replaces that ability, it is bad.”

Patricia Boyett, Peter J. Cangelosi/Beggars endowed associate professor of history, said she is concerned about how some students are currently using artificial intelligence.

“I am concerned that some students are using it to write their papers and develop presentations,” Boyett said.

Boyett said she believes AI can be used ethically in limited ways, but not for creating original academic or creative work.

“I think AI might be used ethically for some work,” she said. “For example, I think it could assist in accelerating the pace of synthesizing data for medical research and perhaps assist in developing cures for diseases. I do not think it is ethical to use it to create original work, such as essays, research papers, articles, books, creative works.”

Boyett said she is currently exploring how AI could be used ethically in the classroom, particularly to help students understand its limits.

“In my pre-law courses, I am exploring how it could be used to synthesize case law,” she said, adding that it is still important for students to develop their own analysis. 

She said she has also created in-class exercises where students first analyze sources on their own, then compare their work to AI-generated analysis to identify errors, originality, and depth.

Boyett said she has noticed students using AI in class and has adjusted her teaching methods in response.

“I have made some changes in my courses, such as banning the use of electronic devices except when we are purposefully using AI tools,” she said.

 She added that she has returned to in-class essay exams and assignments like debates and moot courts that require students to think critically and respond in real time.

Looking ahead, Boyett said she worries about the long-term effects of students relying on AI to do their work.

“If students use it to write papers, synthesize readings, and create presentations, they will fail to deepen their critical analytical, writing, artistic, and oratory skills,” she said. 

Boyett added that overuse of AI could lead to thought conformity, stifle creativity, and discourage innovation.

For journalism students, expectations around AI are more clearly defined. Michelle Rossi, assistant professor of journalism and mass communication, said using AI to fully write assignments is not acceptable.

“Unacceptable is when a student creates and generates content using AI,” Rossi said.

Rossi said students are allowed to use AI to help gather information, similar to using Google, as long as they fact-check what they find and do their own analysis. She said students are responsible for the final work they turn in.

“What I don’t want to see is a final assignment generated by a chatbot,” she said.

Rossi added that AI-written stories often look polished but lack strong content.

“You read it and it’s well formatted, but it’s kind of empty,” she said.

Despite the concerns, Rossi said AI is not going away and should be discussed openly in the classroom.

“We have to talk about it because the industry is using it,” she said.

Across departments, Loyola professors agree that AI is becoming a part of college life. While its role in the classroom is still being defined, faculty say the focus should remain on student learning, honesty, and critical thinking.