Up First from NPR Higher Education’s AI Problem
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Nov 23, 2025 
Leigh Gaines, an education reporter specializing in AI and higher education, discusses the transformative impact of AI on college campuses. She highlights how ChatGPT quickly became a go-to tool for students, raising concerns about academic integrity and the value of degrees. Universities are urged to focus on irreplaceable skills like critical thinking, while students adapt by using AI responsibly. Gaines also explores implications for teaching practices, noting the challenge of fostering genuine learning in an AI-driven landscape.
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Students Describe AI As Efficiency Tool
- Aisha Tarana interviewed students who said AI 'makes it easier to do better.'
- Many students framed AI use as efficiency and goal acceleration, not cheating.
Require Reflection When Students Use AI
- Leslie Clement encourages responsible AI use and teaches students to fact-check AI outputs.
- She asks students to compare drafts and reflect on changes when AI edits their work.
Course Integrates AI With Cultural Studies
- Clement co-created a course 'AI and the African Diaspora' and used Latimer.ai to surface Black-centered material.
- The course treats AI as a curricular subject and a tool for cultural research.