AI Use in Universities Concerns Lecturers

A cartoon in The Guardian about the threat of AI to creative industries resonated with a music lecturer at a UK university. The lecturer finds the cartoon painfully apt not only for creative industries but also for the institutions that teach them.

Universities are facing a crisis due to issues like the commodification of education. The lecturer suspects students are using AI to write essays and even music, and the inability to prove it leaves them feeling powerless.

The lecturer estimates that AI has contributed to half of the written work they see. They believe some students don't realize this constitutes cheating and that the speed with which AI tools have arrived has left educators unsure how to advise students regarding appropriate usage. AI could be useful if used properly, but academics lack the knowledge for this.

The lecturer raises the prospect of AI-written work being graded by AI, which they consider a terrible scenario for human intellect. Academics are increasingly considering reintroducing in-person exams to combat AI use. The lecturer would support this move, and believes many others would as well.