Cornerstone University has formed a President’s Artificial Intelligence Advisory Board to guide the integration of AI into its curriculum, ethics, and long-term strategy. The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Christian institution seeks to equip students with the skills to use artificial intelligence wisely, aiming to produce graduates who are "irreplaceable" in an evolving job market.
University President Gerson Moreno-Riaño stated that the board, comprising experts in fields such as philosophy, engineering, theology, and higher education, is tasked with advising the university on AI's role. This initiative comes as many universities grapple with developing consistent policies on AI use, with some leaving the discretion to individual faculty members.
Unlike institutions that may prohibit generative AI or allow instructors to set their own rules, Cornerstone University intends to adopt a more unified approach. Moreno-Riaño expressed concern that a fragmented strategy leaves students and faculty without clear guidance. "We want to ensure that we prepare and develop our faculty well, our staff well too, to how do we engage this in a way that continues to form our students, not just inform them. And prepare them with wisdom, not just information," he said.
The university's president believes that a primary focus on AI's potential for cheating overlooks its constructive applications. Moreno-Riaño suggests that higher education should shift from merely informing students to cultivating wisdom and discernment, capabilities he asserts AI cannot replicate. He noted that while AI can provide correct answers, the process of struggling with problems and developing judgment is crucial for producing graduates who are indispensable in their fields.
Moreno-Riaño emphasized that no career or major is immune to transformation by AI. Instead of focusing on AI-resistant paths, he advocates for nurturing the human qualities that AI cannot emulate. "I think Christianity has so much to offer here to say, we understand what the person is, we're image bearers of God, this means something," he stated, highlighting how these principles align with the university's mission.
The university's approach seeks to leverage AI as a tool to enhance education and extend institutional reach while managing costs. Moreno-Riaño concluded that embracing AI and learning to use it for beneficial purposes is essential, asserting, "It's here to stay. Now we have to learn how to use it and ensure that it serves our good purposes, not that we serve its purposes."