Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Nearly three years after ChatGPT first came on the scene, college students are using generative AI to help with myriad tasks. Outlining and brainstorming are a breeze. A tough concept, skimmed over by a professor during a lecture, can probably be explained succinctly by a chatbot. This kind of AI use is happening on college campuses across the country, and much of it wouldn’t be considered unethical. But the line between efficiency and academic dishonesty is blurry, and some experts are concerned that an AI-infused education could essentially rewire students’ brains. So, how do colleges weigh the promise of AI against its much-discussed perils?
Related Reading:
These Students Use AI a Lot — but Not to Cheat (chronicle.com/special-projects/the-different-voices-of-student-success/ai-to-the-rescue) (The Chronicle)
The Cheating Vibe Shift (chronicle.com/podcast/college-matters-from-the-chronicle/the-cheating-vibe-shift) (College Matters: Apple (podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cheating-vibe-shift/id1766357400?i=1000684825554&l=es-MX) / Spotify (open.spotify.com/episode/3qwivWCqQusJUmKka7Tfik) )
Should College Graduates Be AI Literate? (chronicle.com/article/should-college-graduates-be-ai-literate) (The Chronicle)
Guest:
Beth McMurtrie (chronicle.com/author/beth-mcmurtrie) , senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education
For more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters (chronicle.com/collegematters) . We aim to make transcripts available within a day of an episode’s publication.
Nearly three years after ChatGPT first came on the scene, college students are using generative AI to help with myriad tasks. Outlining and brainstorming are a breeze. A tough concept, skimmed over by a professor during a lecture, can probably be explained succinctly by a chatbot. This kind of AI use is happening on college campuses across the country, and much of it wouldn’t be considered unethical. But the line between efficiency and academic dishonesty is blurry, and some experts are concerned that an AI-infused education could essentially rewire students’ brains. So, how do colleges weigh the promise of AI against its much-discussed perils?
Related Reading:
These Students Use AI a Lot — but Not to Cheat (chronicle.com/special-projects/the-different-voices-of-student-success/ai-to-the-rescue) (The Chronicle)
The Cheating Vibe Shift (chronicle.com/podcast/college-matters-from-the-chronicle/the-cheating-vibe-shift) (College Matters: Apple (podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cheating-vibe-shift/id1766357400?i=1000684825554&l=es-MX) / Spotify (open.spotify.com/episode/3qwivWCqQusJUmKka7Tfik) )
Should College Graduates Be AI Literate? (chronicle.com/article/should-college-graduates-be-ai-literate) (The Chronicle)
Guest:
Beth McMurtrie (chronicle.com/author/beth-mcmurtrie) , senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education
For more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters (chronicle.com/collegematters) . We aim to make transcripts available within a day of an episode’s publication.
