UC Merced Magazine | Volume XX, Issue VI

If you don’t teach them how to properly use it and when it's the appropriate time to use it, the consequences will be bad.

— Professor Sylvain Masclin

Zanzucchi worries about AI being used experimentally in many areas and hopes its use will retreat to areas where it is actually useful. Masclin is working on a grant with the California Education Learning Lab to create generative AI toolkits that will follow students throughout their college careers, providing guided activities and virtual tutoring. e grant would also fund faculty AI workshops for teaching and work productivity. “ e goal is to use AI to improve access and provide better learning opportunity for all students,” said Masclin. “We’re always looking at how we can improve students' learning. If While faculty consider whether and how to incorporate AI into classrooms, a similar scene is playing out in campus administrative units. e O ce of Information Technology is building infrastructure to inform many of the processes that will be implemented, said Vice Chancellor and Chief Information O cer Nick Dugan, including a website that will house information on AI tools available to the campus community and important safeguards to consider when using them. Dugan and his team plan to host a monthly engagement series, and both the website and symposiums will highlight a range of topics, from best practices for AI tools in the classroom and academic integrity to more administrative applications such as achieving operational e ciency. e work is all being done with an eye on equity and inclusivity. “We want to make sure we are not widening any gaps as we employ these tools,” said Dugan. His team will solicit a community of interest among campus leadership, faculty and sta to help shape this initiative. “ e work that I’m hoping to do this academic year is to bring people together around a common topic and facilitate discussion and ideas on how we want to incorporate this into our institutional identity,” said Dugan. “We also need to discuss how we are going to continuously change and adapt because, as you know, this eld is evolving at a very rapid pace.” AI is a tool, then why not use it?” AI Tools for Campus Use

Don’t Fear It, Learn to Use it T h e hammer analogy is one shared by economics Professor Justin Hicks. He argues that instructors who are not exposing their students to AI and having real discussions about it are doing a disservice to their students. “AI is going to take over a lot of jobs, and a big part of what we do as a university is to prepare them for success in the future,” said Hicks. “Not only do I want them using it in my class, I want them to become pro cient enough with it to be the creators of the next iteration of AI.” A proud early adopter, Hicks understands some faculty members’ hesitancy to encourage students to use AI on assignments. He said no service can predict with 100% certainty whether a piece was completely created using the tool. ere are also well-documented biases in generative programs, and ethical issues. E orts to improve AI tools make him comfortable with students using ChatGPT on assignments. “A year and half ago, I wouldn't advise students to use ChatGPT with some of the coding we do,” said Hicks. “I want students to focus on the talents and expertise they already have that cannot be mimicked by generative AI. It’s important that they be creative, and understand how to do the analysis and the synthesis. “But now, I encourage it because of the improvements I’ve seen in the output it creates. I know they'll get a functioning Keeping up to date with the latest developments in AI can be taxing. For those still on the outside looking in, Associate Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts Anne Zanzucchi can see how they may feel overwhelmed and not know where to start. But there are resources, such as department chairs, the library and the Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning. “I see faculty and students running into challenges all the time, so there is a real need for open and honest conversations about AI, especially for those of us in creative areas,” said Zanzucchi. “AI has attened the landscape, so we need to talk about how that changes things from before and what the expectations are now.” code and can move on with the project.” Open, Honest Conversations

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