Some humanities instructors are taking a creative, community-centred approach to adapt their teaching for the age of AI, writes Jessica Gross, columnist for the New York Times. Rather than banning AI-use outright, many professors are rethinking assignments to emphasize in-person engagement, student-led policy making, and collaboration with local communities. Grose highlights examples from individuals such as Chris Weigel (Utah Valley University), who redesigned her ethics course so students could teach philosophical concepts to youth in crisis, and Tamara Ketabgian (Beloit College), who integrated student-led discussions at public libraries and seniors’ centres into a science fiction class. These instructors—and others across the US—see AI not as the end of the humanities, but as a catalyst for more personal, meaningful pedagogy. “We don’t need to surrender to bots,” Grose concludes.
