AI is already in the classrooms: What does that mean for STU?
Artificial intelligence is becoming part of education in New Brunswick, but university students are already navigating questions about when — and how — they should use it.
The province is introducing AI learning across the K–12 curriculum, teaching students about the technology and how to use it responsibly.
At St. Thomas University, the conversation is already happening in classrooms.
STU does not have a blanket ban on generative AI. Instead, expectations can vary between courses and assignments, while the university's academic misconduct policy sets boundaries around the use of AI-generated work.
The policy states that students need an instructor's permission to use AI-generated text for academic work and must properly cite it when it is used.
But AI is not only being discussed as a potential academic-integrity problem.
For Alisa Los, a second-year journalism student, AI can have a limited place in university work.
“Even though AI could be a useful tool for spotting grammar mistakes and assisting with the research, I don't think it should ever be overused in the university setting,” Los said.
She said relying too heavily on AI could prevent students from developing critical-thinking skills because they may not engage with the material themselves.
But she also believes the same standards should apply to professors.
“Grading is something that should be taken very seriously, since the marks and feedback students receive could significantly impact their professional futures,” Los said.
She said students put significant effort into their assignments and deserve to have their work evaluated by a person.
“I invest effort, time and soul into my assignments, so I believe that my work deserves to be seen and evaluated by humans,” she said.
That concern is being debated across higher education.
A 2024 study of university educators found that many instructors were already using generative AI in their teaching, while fewer believed their institutions had adequately prepared them for its use. The researchers also found demand among educators for additional support and guidance.
The technology is also changing how universities approach assessment.
A recent Guardian investigation in Australia reported that some universities allow academics to use AI to assist with marking and student feedback. Critics have warned this could create a cycle in which students submit AI-generated work and academics use AI to assess it.
Armin Alimardani, a senior lecturer in law and technology at Western Sydney University, told the Guardian that this could lead to “verification drift,” where overworked academics become less vigilant about checking AI-generated assessments.
For students, the issue is not simply whether AI should be allowed.
It is whether using it helps them learn or allows them to avoid the learning process altogether.
As AI becomes part of education from elementary school to university, students and professors are being asked to navigate the same technology from opposite sides of the classroom.
The challenge may not be keeping AI out of education, but teaching students when and when not to use it.
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