Students are increasingly using AI tools like ChatGPT for studying, leading to shifts in the educational landscape as platforms like Chegg and Macmillan Learning adapt by integrating AI features into their services. While some students and educators embrace these tools for their convenience, others express concerns about over-reliance on AI diminishing critical thinking and comprehension skills.
AI tools in education are becoming increasingly popular, with universities like Boise State and San Diego State using Google's NotebookLM and Gemini to enhance note-taking and lesson planning. Major companies such as Google, Adobe, and Microsoft are offering significant discounts on their AI tools for students, allowing them to access advanced features at reduced prices, while emphasizing the importance of using these tools responsibly to avoid academic dishonesty.
OpenAI's "study mode" for ChatGPT, released in July 2025, claims to enhance academic performance, but robust research on its effectiveness is still lacking. While some studies show potential benefits, others highlight risks such as impaired critical thinking and metacognitive errors, emphasizing the need for genuine cognitive effort in learning.
The widespread use of artificial intelligence by students has led educators to reconsider traditional methods of assigning and assessing work, as take-home tests and essays are increasingly seen as opportunities for cheating. Schools are adapting by focusing on in-class assignments and incorporating AI literacy into the curriculum, while also grappling with the challenge of defining and enforcing academic integrity in the age of AI.
Generative AI is being integrated into classrooms to enhance learning, with educators like Priyanka Parekh at NAU exploring its use as a learning partner in STEM education. The TRAIL program supports this initiative by providing grants to professors for innovative research on GenAI, aiming to build AI literacy and ethical utilization among students and faculty.
The National Science Foundation has granted $200,000 to Boston College's Engineering Department to develop a new AI education approach focused on Human-Centered Algorithm Design (HCAD), integrating technical, ethical, and social considerations. Led by Professor Bryan Ranger, the project aims to create teaching strategies that connect technical education with real-world impacts, preparing engineers to responsibly contribute to society and addressing the goals of the NSF's Research Initiation in Engineering Formation program.
BNY and Carnegie Mellon University have announced a five-year, $10 million collaboration to establish the BNY AI Lab, focusing on advancing AI research and development with an emphasis on governance, trust, and accountability in AI applications. This partnership will leverage CMU's expertise in AI and BNY's financial industry experience to foster innovation, support cross-disciplinary education, and strengthen Pittsburgh's role as a global AI hub.
OpenAI has launched a new consortium called NextGenAI, partnering with 15 top universities like Harvard and MIT, to support AI-assisted research with $50 million in grants, compute funding, and API access. This initiative aims to prepare the next generation for AI's future, although OpenAI's involvement suggests a strategic interest in familiarizing academia with its AI tools over competitors.
On September 5, 2025, Chulalongkorn University's Social Research Institute hosted an international lecture on "AI in Higher Education for Innovation in Learning & Research," featuring Dr. Muthu Kumar Chandrasekaran and a panel discussion with global and Thai academics.
