Press release from Columbia’s Committee on the AI in the Core Curriculum, which I co-chaired:

In April, the working group shared recommendations that reaffirmed the Core’s commitment to human intelligence and human-centered pedagogy — but that also carefully aligned the realities and opportunities of technological change with the Core Curriculum’s guiding values and principles.

Their recommendations include limiting students’ use of connected devices in Core seminars, to lessen distraction and discourage the use of AI during in-class discussions; an enrichment of “human-first” teaching practices, with additional forms of shared “unplugged” inquiry and engagement; and the creation of explicit AI-aware guidelines and resources for students and instructors, with clear policies for every Core syllabus.

“For more than a century, Columbia’s Core Curriculum has cultivated habits of attention, judgment and argument through sustained, in-person engagement with texts, primary sources, and classmates and professors,” the group wrote. “At a time when many forms of thinking are increasingly automated, the Core offers a rare space to practice critical thought, preserving and deepening human-centered, humanistic principles.

“It is important to stress that we do not see these pedagogical practices as a retreat from a world in which AI is assuming an increasingly prominent place. On the contrary, we consider these practices to be the best preparation for responsible and informed engagement with AI.”

The Committee on the Core will discuss the working group’s recommendations this Fall.