“From a teaching and learning perspective, from a research perspective, and as we consider professions, industries and society, it’s not just the technical aspects of AI that matter,” said Hardin during her welcome address. “More importantly, it’s the impact on our culture and society, the way we live, and ultimately, how we think and relate to one another. We have an incredibly important role in the future of AI. The expertise on these issues and the way disciplines can come together to think about the many complex issues involving AI is found in higher education.”

Hosted in the School of Business auditorium, the panel discussion opened with remarks by Robert Yawson, PhD, professor of management, and was moderated by Maya Dole, PhD, professor of social work. 

Dole began by framing the scope of AI’s influence with a statistic. 

“A billion people around the world are using AI, and 8 million people turn to ChatGPT each week,” said Dole. “Intelligence has never been more accessible.”

Throughout the discussion, panelists shared perspectives rooted in their professional fields, with human creativity and agency (the ability to act independently), emerging as central themes.

“Creativity is one thing. Agency is even bigger,” said Anat Biletzki, PhD, Albert Schweitzer Professor of Philosophy. “And the question of whether computers have agency or creativity is the philosophical question, which becomes the ethical question about computers. And I refuse personally to let go of that question. But to assume, A, that computers have agency and creativity, and B, to give them that word intelligence, is taking a very big, not just theoretical, but semantic step.”

Tamilla Triantoro, PhD, associate professor of business analytics and information systems at the School of Business, spoke about the importance of developing human literacies through educational methods such as Socratic questioning to help students resist the complacency of instant, AI-generated answers.

“What makes us human are the skills that differentiate us from machines, like emotional intelligence, moral judgment, adaptability and especially critical thinking,” she said. “In an age of ‘frictionless’ technology and overwhelming information, true learning requires discomfort, questioning and intellectual effort.”

Soumyashree Sahoo, PhD, assistant professor of computer science in the School of Computing & Engineering, agreed and also highlighted the need for hands-on, industry-relevant experiences.
“With the rapid access to varying and quality information everywhere, my thinking would be to integrate interactive, problem-based and collaborative learning environments in the classroom with assessments that emphasize analytical thinking through projects, case studies or experimental assignments,” said Sahoo. “Students should apply core concepts while also tackling industry-relevant projects, like building a chatbot, creating a portfolio website, or analyzing public datasets.”

The panel also explored concerns about AI bias, particularly in critical fields like medicine. John McClaskey, MD, professor of medical sciences at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, stressed that students must learn to recognize AI data bias to avoid deskilling in their profession.

“In health care, much of the data that AI draws from is itself biased. For example, cardiology research was historically based on male populations, leading to suboptimal care for women,” said McClaskey. “These biased models are now being applied in clinical settings, often on faith, which raises real risks for future caregivers.”

Students on the panel offered their own perspective, reflecting on how AI is already integrated into their learning experiences.

“I think almost every educational software now has some type of AI chatbot integration,” said Thomas Rua ’26, a fourth-year computer science major studying AI in education. “It’ll help you summarize your notes, generate test questions, or answer customer support tickets. It’s become part of almost everything I’ve done, compared to when I started.”

Senior Samantha Woodburn ’26, a fourth-year computer science major with a minor in artificial intelligence, also noted AI’s rapid growth.

“When I first came to school, I think it was just after ChatGPT launched its public data,” said Woodburn. “As the months went on, it obviously became more and more prevalent in everything in regard to education and in my experience here at school.”

First-year honors student and data science major Torben Schreiber ’29 noted the challenge of keeping pace with rapidly advancing AI technologies.

“To me, it’s a little terrifying because AI is incredibly smart and learns incredibly fast. Do I have a shot at catching up with it? I don’t know. Will I ever be an expert? I don’t know,” said Schreiber. “It doesn’t surprise me that so many students my age lean on AI as a tool. It’s going to be very difficult to reach the same level of intelligence as AI, even with the tools readily available to us.”

But when it comes to the future of higher education, the panelists agreed that universities will continue to play a vital role. While technology changes how information is accessed, universities remain essential as communities that foster critical thinking and collaboration.

“I think it allows us to move beyond simply delivering information and knowledge, to becoming those centers where wisdom is created,” said Triantoro. “With all this abundant intelligence, we need spaces for reflection. Despite conversations about the future of higher education, universities remain fundamentally about community…bringing people together and transforming intelligence into wisdom.”

The event concluded with an audience Q&A and an on-campus “Research Relay,” featuring 11 research posters spread throughout campus, including a Faculty Scholarship Exhibition at the Arnold Bernhard Library with special posters highlighting Quinnipiac faculty AI research.