Generative AI refers to a class of artificial intelligence systems that are designed to generate text, images, music, and other forms of content, that are similar to or indistinguishable from content created by humans. These systems are capable of learning patterns and structures from large datasets and then generating new examples that mimic those patterns.
AI has tremendous potential for producing great benefits in many areas of life, including business, science and education. It also has the potential for producing significant harms. The Emmanuel Community is responsible for establishing policies that best promote its benefits while minimizing its harms, especially in academic areas.
The Emmanuel Community has a variety of opinions about using AI in higher education. Many are concerned about the negative impact on teaching and learning, especially in areas concerning academic integrity. Others see AI as a potentially useful pedagogical tool, not unlike other previously disruptive technologies that initially spawned controversy, such as the internet, mobile devices, and social media. It is the purpose of this website to serve as a resource for members of the Emmanuel Community to examine these harms and benefits, to guide us all in the process of establishing institutional and individual policies for its use, and to serve as a central clearing house for discussions of how generative AI might best be used at Emmanuel.
