Artificial intelligence is dramatically changing higher education as professors adapt to its use, despite fears and hand-wringing that college students are using it as a cheating free-for-all. As higher education wrestles with unprecedented challenges— including shrinking budgets due to federal cuts and fundamental doubts about its value — AI’s growth is prompting instructors to have frank classroom discussions about key skills students must master before they graduate and the ethical use of tech tools. While professors and students at Minnesota colleges and universities have varying perspectives on AI’s usefulness, many faculty are rethinking their assignments and tests. Skeptical professors are going old-school with physical test booklets and oral exams, while early adopters are boosting students’ AI use through creative projects that were impossible four years ago.
