Artificial intelligence is reshaping the way we teach and learn—but how should it be used in the college classroom? What are its benefits? Its risks? And how reliable is it?
These pressing questions took center stage during Keuka College’s Spring 2025 STAR Faculty Panel, “Artificial Intelligence: Friend or Foe?”, held Tuesday in the Hawkins Lounge.
Moderated by Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Heather Maldonado, the panel featured insights from Clinical Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy Dr. Cassie Hey ’04 M’07, Associate Professor of English Dr. Steven Kapica, and Associate Provost and Associate Professor of Spanish Dr. Malia Spofford-Xavier. Together, they explored AI’s growing role in education, acknowledging both its potential and its challenges.
The panelists agreed that, when used thoughtfully, AI tools like ChatGPT can enhance learning. However, they also stressed the importance of caution, particularly when it comes to accuracy.
“AI gets to where it gets from scraping from the internet,” Dr. Maldonado told the audience. “And I don’t know if you’ve all noticed, but sometimes the internet is wrong.”
Drs. Spofford-Xavier, Hey, and Kapica share a moment following Tuesday's panel discussion.
Dr. Kapica likened AI to an umbrella turned inside-out. “It’s catching everything that falls into it,” he said, “then it unceremoniously dumps everything on top of us.”
Despite these concerns, the panelists emphasized that AI can be a powerful tool—if used correctly.
“I have found it to be extremely helpful in the classroom,” said Dr. Hey, citing examples such as generating case studies, fine-tuning in-class activities, and creating podcasts based on academic articles. “But I have been surprised by the in-depth need for prompts.”
The instructors agreed that, to be beneficial, the technology must be mindfully directed.
Dr. Malia Spofford-Xavier, right, addresses the audience in the Hawkins Lounge. The hour-long discussion drew more than 50 members of the College community.
“AI has helped me speed up routine work,” said Dr. Spofford-Xavier. “But I use it sparingly and carefully, owing to the quality.”
Or, as Dr. Kapica put it, “It’s helpful only if you know how to get it to help you.”
AI’s reputation as a quick and easy content generator also raised concerns.
“My fear is, it could become a crutch,” said Dr. Spofford-Xavier. She said relying too heavily on AI risks depriving students of the opportunity to develop their own critical thinking tools.
“Academic achievement thrives on originality and creativity,” she said. “If all we’re doing is generating what’s been generated in the past through pattern recognition, at some point we find ourselves in a loop where nothing new can come about.”
The discussion also touched on broader concerns, including whether AI could eventually surpass human control.
“The best thing we can do,” said Dr. Spofford-Xavier, “is what we’re doing here—producing the best citizens and leaders possible.”
Students joined faculty and staff members for a wide-ranging discussion on the potential benefits and challenges of ChatGPT and other forms of artificial intelligence.
At the same time, the panelists acknowledged AI’s potential for positive impact. Dr. Hey predicted one of the biggest areas for AI’s beneficial use is the medical field.
The instructors and Dr. Maldonado returned repeatedly to the strategy of tying the use of AI to one of Keuka College’s bedrock values: Engaging with curiosity.
“The effective use of AI is very quickly becoming a quality that employers are looking for upon hiring,” said Dr. Hey. “So, I will bring it into the classroom and model its use. How can we use it in an ethical manner? But let’s do it together in the classroom.”
And like any other educational tool, students shouldn’t overuse it, said Dr. Spofford-Xavier.
“Keep in mind the importance of recognizing it as a supplement,” she said, “rather than a replacement.”
