How Ohio State is making AI part of every major
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
Ohio State University wants to make all its undergrads "bilingual" — fluent in their respective majors and in artificial intelligence.
Why it matters: AI is expected to reshape nearly every industry. By weaving it into general education requirements starting this fall, OSU aims to prepare graduates for a rapidly evolving digital world.
- This is a unique, massive undertaking involving more than 45,000 undergraduate students.
The big picture: Other schools have created specialized AI programs and degrees.
- But Ohio State is taking a more generalized approach as a flagship public university. That's an important step toward making AI literacy more accessible, Hironao Okahana of the American Council on Education tells Axios.
How it works: The basics of AI, including "ethical considerations," will be part of the required Launch Seminar course and first year Success Series workshops for freshmen.
- Additional workshops and an Unlocking Generative AI course will be available to everyone. In the latter, students will "gain essential skills to interact effectively with AI, craft prompts that inspire creativity and explore AI's impact on society," according to a press release.
The intrigue: The conversation is quickly shifting. Academia initially focused on "catching" AI users and curbing dishonesty, but things have changed as bots like ChatGPT have become more mainstream.
What they're saying: As with any emerging technology, from calculators to computers, educators must learn to adapt, OSU vice president and provost Ravi Bellamkonda tells Axios.
- "If you can use an AI tool, what should the exam be?" is now the question, he says. "We don't want to sacrifice students' deep understanding of their subjects, but the way we teach will fundamentally change."
What's next: The coming months at Ohio State will include lots of training and streamlining of campus resources to help faculty embed AI into their existing coursework.
- Partnerships with AI companies, so students can access their software, are pending.
- There are also plans to hire new AI experts, perhaps a tall order, given surging demand for them.
The bottom line: A scientist by trade, Bellamkonda admits he is "always skeptical when there's so much hype around something."
- "But the more I learn about it and the more I interact with it … I think this is the real deal. That something transformative is possible with AI."