Don’t Ban AI on Campus

Students returning to campus this semester are arriving with anxiety about AI and its impact on their lives after college. Research from Stanford shows that AI has caused a nearly 20% drop in employment for young workers in AI-exposed occupations, like computer programming and customer service. While fear over AI may seem new, cognitive scientists are familiar with this kind of unease and know it can be cured.

My research reveals that people who are anxious about math don't panic during the test itself, but rather when they anticipate it. This is how AI anxiety feels right now—like a math test waiting to happen.

AI is transforming classrooms, workplaces, and hiring needs, and experts warn more turbulence is coming. Teachers and students struggle to tell if AI is being used effectively or to cheat. Instead of tackling this disruption head-on, many educators are trying to avoid AI altogether. Universities like the University of Chicago and the UC Berkeley School of Law have banned AI use from classes and prohibited its use on assignments.

However, banning AI isn't the solution. Instead, universities should guide students to use AI productively and ethically. At Dartmouth, students learn how to approach AI critically and understand what the technology can't answer. Dartmouth also employs a critical AI librarian to help students recognize biases in AI models and spot unsupported claims.

Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business and Geisel School of Medicine require students to use AI in their coursework, giving them practical experience with the technology. These hands-on experiences help students build confidence in using AI and appreciate its limitations. As the demand for advanced AI skills grows, universities must prioritize preparing students to use AI effectively and responsibly.