Higher education stakeholders in the country should convene as soon as possible to discuss the use of artificial intelligence among students, a member of the House of Representatives committee on higher and technical education said.
“To ban or not to ban AI use in our schools is the burning question that we must answer soon,” Solid North Party-list Rep. Ching Bernos said.
Recently, the University of the Philippines College of Law announced that it is adopting a new policy on AI use after it observed a “considerable decline in the quality” of arguments and discourses among its students. The college also cited the poor impression recent graduates had made on employers who found them to be “AI-dependent.”
Bernos acknowledged that “AI is here to stay,” and that higher learning institutions would be well-advised to prepare students for the future through the use of technology.
She however warned that institutions “must strike the balance between adopting AI while ensuring that the rigors of thinking required in higher education are maintained.”
“Now more than ever, it is necessary to build among our students a strong foundation of critical thinking and intellectual rigor so that they treat AI and other forms of technology as tools rather than shortcuts in fulfilling school outputs,” the lawmaker said.
Bernos expressed hope that the government could take the lead in gathering HEIs to tackle the issue of AI.
“It will not be an easy process, but it is one that we must start immediately, otherwise we risk our students becoming unprepared in the face of swift and massive changes in the technological and employment landscape. Sa lalong madaling panahon, pag-usapan na at aksyunan na natin.”
