To the Editor:
After listening to The Chronicle’s recent College Matters podcast episode on academic integrity (“The Cheating Vibe Shift,” January 21), I felt unsettled — not because of students’ use of AI, but because of the framing of the conversation. The focus on policing students felt reductive and missed a deeper question: Why are students turning to AI in the first place?
Throughout history, perceptions of plagiarism have evolved with technological advances. AI is the latest challenging traditional ideas of originality, yet the podcast narrative focused on prohibition rather than adaptation. Instead of asking, “How do we stop students from using AI?”, we should ask, “What about our teaching practices or definitions of success drives students to seek shortcuts? Are our assessments meaningful and aligned with real-world skills, or are they rigid hoops to jump through?”
Framing AI use as inherently “plagiarism” oversimplifies a complex issue. Yes, students can misuse AI, but the same is true of other tools. Treating AI as a boogeyman alienates students and fosters an us vs. them mindset. It paints students as adversaries in the learning process. This approach creates fear and prevents thoughtful solutions. AI didn’t create cheating; it surfaced longstanding issues in education. Rather than reacting with fear, we must focus on fixing these deeper problems.
Will every student follow AI guidelines? Probably not. But the real question is: What are we doing to make learning meaningful and build trust so students engage authentically? Banning AI outright ignores its collaborative potential and sends the wrong message — that we don’t trust students to use it responsibly. Instead, we must teach them how to use it ethically: when to use it, how to attribute it, and where its limits lie.
AI is here to stay, just like other innovations that reshaped education. While it challenges traditional norms of originality and effort, it also presents an opportunity to foster deeper conversations about the purpose of education. Promoting fear and negativity won’t solve the issue or alleviate the pressure educators are feeling. The question isn’t: “How do we stop students from using AI?” The question is, “How do we help them use it responsibly?”
Sarah Gibson
Lipscomb University