UChicago limiting tech in classes
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Some University of Chicago students can expect an analog classroom experience next school year.
Why it matters: As higher education grapples with the role AI plays in students' academic careers, the prestigious university known for intellectual rigor believes the classroom should be a space for "free, robust and uninhibited discussion."
Driving the news: In a memo sent this month to UChicago Social Sciences Core chairs, Social Sciences Collegiate Division (SSCD) dean Jenny Trinitapoli said that the learning environment is best without AI.
- The Chicago Maroon student newspaper first reported the memo.
Zoom in: Next academic year, classes will be taught "analog," Trinitapoli outlined, meaning students will read text on paper and engage primarily through guided discussion in a device-free space.
- In-person attendance is required and students will be prohibited from recording discussions.
What they're saying: "It is intended to reduce classroom distractions and encourage face-to-face discussions among students and instructors, an important element of SOSC Core classes," a UChicago spokesperson told Axios in a statement.
Yes, but: Faculty may make exceptions to the device-free standards, including for students with accommodations through Student Disability Services.
State of play: To be clear, UChicago is not rejecting AI. In fact, in June, President Paul Alivisatos announced that students and faculty would have access to Claude through a partnership with Anthropic.
- Now is the time to be "skeptical, ethical, and ambitious when it comes to AI, while remaining grounded in the habits of mind and standards of judgment that define this university," Alivisatos told the university community.