Within the current turmoil confronting higher ed, the question of AI in the classroom looms large.

I won’t repeat the endless conversations and debates here. (But here is a document I compiled of crowdsourced comments and advice about dealing with distracted students, from a long and dynamic comment thread some months back on the Professor Is In Facebook page.)

For our purposes today, I want to alert you to the likelihood that you will be asked about your AI policy for your classroom in a tenure track job interview.

Many job seekers reported (in response to a query I put on FB today) that they have already been asked this question, and I don’t think it will take long before it is part of the core script.

As a prompt to help you formulate your own response to this, I want to share one excellent response given by a recent Interview Intervention client.

(If you want to work with me on this kind of live interview prep role play, click here!)

I framed the question (in my persona of interviewer) like this: “I’m sure you’re aware, being in the classroom, that AI has completely transformed the way all of us teach classes at the university level, where we have students using AI, needing to be trained in AI,  and also sometimes using it to cheat… all of those issues. So we’d like to hear your policy for dealing with AI in your classrooms.”

This client, an economist with a specialization in AI, responded as follows:

“I view AI is as a tool, like a calculator. You cannot ban it. So I teach students how to use it responsibly. My philosophy is that AI is co-learner or a co- … like you know the Microsoft co-pilot (laugh), so not an autopilot replacing your thinking. In my classes I have a total transparency policy. Students are allowed to use AI  – for example maybe they want to debug their codes, maybe they want to brainstorm ideas, check their answers, that’s fine  – but they must disclose it if they use it. They should say how they used it and how they verified its output. As long as they can explain how they use AI, I can be more assured they are actively learning not just copy pasting.”

I said: “this is a beautiful answer! You just need a concluding sentence!”

He said, “ok, how about: ‘AI is a fact of life. So our goal as teachers as in as university instructors is to empower students to use it both ethically and constructively.'”

Very very good.

Please share your own ideas for responses below.