COMMENTARY
By LI LEYAO
Global Business Journalism reporter
Step into almost any university classroom today, and the scene is remarkably uniform: students of all disciplines are engrossed in their laptops, typing prompts into ChatGPT.
This AI, capable of churning out a fully formed essay in mere seconds, has become a ubiquitous tool in academic life. Yet, despite its vast capabilities, it draws mixed reviews. To grasp the breadth of its impact, we reached out to five students across different fields of study. Their insights paint a complex portrait of an academic landscape profoundly altered by AI, one that is as fraught with challenges as it is rich with potential.
To some students, employing AI as a tool to assist with homework or craft essays borders on deceit.
"Utilizing it for mundane tasks to enhance productivity is one thing, but relying on it for creative endeavors like composing papers is a surrender of one's innovation," asserts a master's student major in international journalism from the Tsinghua School of Journalism and Communication. “It constitutes academic dishonesty.”
Among humanities scholars, there is a palpable concern that such reliance on AI for tasks traditionally demanding a personal touch — like writing — diminishes their intellectual independence and threatens to accelerate the obsolescence of their professions.
However, the narrative shifts when talking to students in certain other fields, particularly those rooted in the sciences. Consider the perspective of Zheng Yu, a Ph.D. student studying smart city planning.He \outlines substantial challenges, such as optimizing spatial efficiency and sifting through myriad feasible solutions — tasks traditionally dominated by human planners.
"Now, by leveraging artificial intelligence models, we can generate complex plans in mere seconds," he notes.
AI leads to problem solving, not simply recalling information
This synergy between AI and human expertise doesn't just drastically reduce planning time; it also fosters the creation of diverse, vibrant community environments.
The president of the world's first artificial intelligence university said the educational system's current quantifiers of "intelligence" will face disruption from the new technology, allowing students to focus on solving problems rather than simply recalling information.
A Chinese Ph.D. student from the Tsinghua School of Environment shares a different enthusiasm for AI's potential. She highlights how large AI models can mine databases full of microbial resources, uncovering biological assets that we barely understand — new genes, proteins, and microbial cells.
"These discoveries can be used to regulate the microbes in water for sewage treatment and to produce more environmentally friendly products," she explains. This not only enhances efficiency but also accelerates the restoration of a green and healthy ecological environment.
Rather than avoiding AI, students across numerous disciplines are actively seeking to harness its potential more effectively. Academic programs are increasingly focused on integrating AI into scientific research and tightly coupling it with real-world industry demands. This initiative reflects a broader trend of not only embracing technological advancements but also ensuring that educational experiences are directly relevant and applicable to the challenges and opportunities of the modern workforce.
This embrace of technology has not overcome all of the anxieties of AI skeptics. Indeed, it has exacerbated some of their fears. But top leaders on university campuses are moving toward a more reassuring perspective on AI’s role in academia.
"We should not view AI as a devilish force but rather as a powerful tool that has elevated our research to new heights,” said Zhou Qing’an, dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University. “Its emergence has brought fundamental issues into sharper focus and has increasingly motivated young scholars to delve deeper into their studies."
Tsinghua University has launched an ambitious new course open to all its students, focusing on artificial intelligence. The class, "Introduction to AI Programming," is being taught by Hu Shimin, a distinguished academician from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Technology at Tsinghua. The course aims to demystify the core concepts and foundations of AI, providing a clear and accessible introduction to the subject.
It also covers basic skills in deep learning programming, equipping students from non-AI disciplines with the essential competencies to engage with AI technologies. This initiative is part of Tsinghua's broader effort to foster interdisciplinary innovation by integrating AI education across diverse academic fields.
The security imperatives
In a discussion on the ethical boundaries of AI in education, Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, highlighted the sector's critical imperatives.
"The red lines in educational technology," Giannini stated, "must center on the protection of privacy and personal data, the prevention of student manipulation, and a steadfast commitment to safety — particularly for children in compulsory education."
She stressed the necessity for schools to ensure a secure environment that seamlessly integrates both the digital and physical aspects, recognizing the fluidity with which students navigate between these spaces.
In summary, it is imperative that we approach artificial intelligence with an open and receptive mindset, fully acknowledging its extensive possibilities while vigilantly maintaining clear ethical boundaries.
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