Lecturers should view Al as a learning partner and not a threat

A shift in mindset is necessary so that generative artificial intelligence can be used as a tool to produce graduates with the critical thinking skills that tech lacks and cannot duplicate reliably.

- By Anitia Lubbe

In universities worldwide, a quiet revolution is under way. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, DeepSeek and Gemini are being used to produce essays, summarise readings and even conduct complex assignments.

Generative AI is of a kind that can handle a variety of creative tasks in diverse domains such as arts, music and education.

For many university teachers, this raises alarm bells about plagiarism and integrity. Whereas some institutions have rushed to restrict or support AI use, others are still unsure how to respond.

But focusing only on policing misses a bigger issue: whether students are really learning. As an education researcher, I'm interested in the topic of how students learn. My colleagues and I recently explored the role AI could play in learning if universities tried a new way of assessing students.

We found that many traditional forms of assessment in universities remain focused on memorisation and rote learning. These are exactly the tasks that AI performs best.

We argue that it's time to reconsider what students should be learning. This should include the ability to evaluate and analyse AI-created text. This is a skill that is essential for critical thinking.

If this ability is what universities teach and look for in a student, AI will be an opportunity and not a threat.

We've suggested some ways that universities can use AI to teach and assess what students really need to know.

Reviewing studies of AI