The American college campus has long been a place where the most important ideas of our time are debated. And rightly so. The academic world should be a place where students and professors share ideas, test theories, and consider unique perspectives. In the end, the hope is that our colleges and universities build citizens who’ll emerge into society after graduation ready to participate in all aspects of public life.

Before the internet, technological changes had an impact on teaching and learning but were more like accessories that didn’t threaten the essentially human nature of education. And while the internet itself posed new challenges, it largely provided professors and students with easier access to information. Students, however, still had to find, comprehend, and apply that information. But the emergence of generative artificial intelligence has blindsided college administrators, faculty, and students.

Advocates of AI are working hard to tell the public how much we need it, how much it’s going to change society, and how there’s nothing we can do about it. It’s happening so fast that it’s hard for most people not familiar with artificial intelligence to wrap their minds around what it is, let alone how it could impact society.

That’s not a concern in the California State University system. CSU inked a $17 million no-bid contract with OpenAI last year to provide students with access to a new tool called ChatGPT Edu. CSU has signed on for another three years at a cost of $39 million. This came at a time when the system faced deep budget cuts.

“At San Jose State — the oldest public university in the California State University system — evidence of the shift toward A.I. is evident across campus,” Linda Kinstler writes at New York Times Magazine. “The university now has an A.I. librarian, and its main library features a new A.I. Center for Civic and Social Good. The business school runs an A.I. boot camp for high school students; the campus career hub is sponsored by Adobe; A.I. literacy training is an orientation requirement and, last year, an A.I. agent helped coordinate commencement logistics.”

In fact, the majority of faculty and students in the system utilize artificial intelligence in their course work and research.

A survey conducted by CSU found that 84% of its students and 89% of its staff use AI. However, 80% of students claim they won’t submit work that’s generated by AI, and 82% worry about its impact on their future job opportunities. Ninety-seven percent believe AI content must be verified.

Kinstler adds, “C.S.U. is promising that the A.I. Initiative will prepare its students to be workers of the future. The only issue is that, at this moment of technological acceleration and flux, we don’t yet know what the workplace of the future will look like. A year into this experiment, no one can tell how it will end. Will these graduates be ahead of the curve in the new A.I. economy, or robbed of a chance to hone their critical thinking skills? If adopting A.I. eases their entry into the work force, might it also hinder their intellectual development in unforeseen ways?”

It’s not just professors who worry about the impact of AI on learning. “While a steady 51% of Gen Zers in the U.S. report using generative artificial intelligence at least weekly, negative emotions toward it have intensified over the past year,” a recent Gallup poll found. “Anger about the technology has risen, while excitement and hopefulness have dropped.” Meanwhile, “Generation Z — those born between 1997 and 2012 and who are currently aged 14 to 29 — is not convinced that AI enhances creativity or critical thinking, and the majority believe it may come at a cost, particularly to learning.”

Schools like San Jose State and others around the country have simply accepted what they’ve been told about artificial intelligence without asking critical questions about its impact on students.

As Zahid Naz writes at Times Higher Education, “The process of learning involves much more than reading texts; it requires students to grapple with intricate concepts, compare and contrast ideas, and navigate the nuanced arguments presented in academic literature. This sharpens critical thinking, cultivates original thought, and builds the foundation for intellectual independence.”

Academic institutions are facing declining enrollments and budget cuts. By jumping on the AI bandwagon, colleges and universities hope to attract more students currently questioning the value of a college degree in the first place, but who also might reconsider if they think a college education will lead toward success in a technological world. They also need money, and often that money is tied to individuals and organizations promoting AI.

It’s no wonder so many universities have submitted to a technology most don’t understand. But that’s come with some profound risks that university officials, faculty, and students haven’t thought through. They’re not alone. The advocates of AI are pushing hard to convince everyone to trust what it offers, even though they can’t clearly explain those advantages to skeptics.

As artificial intelligence evolves, some of the concerns about the technology and its impact on education may work themselves out. For now, though, important questions aren’t being asked by administrators in academia who’ve embraced AI as a panacea while telling everyone else to adapt or get out of the way.