BU ♥️ AI instead of teachers

Boston University administrators recommended that faculty members use generative AI tools in classrooms due to the BU Graduate Workers Union strike.

In an email sent to faculty members on Wednesday that was seen by The Daily Beast, the BU Dean of Arts & Sciences Stan Sclaroff provided recommendations for staff to “manage course discussion sections and labs that are impacted by the BUGWU strike.”

While most suggestions were tame, such as assigning readings and combining discussion sections, Sclaroff also “listed some creative ways in which, we have heard, some faculty are adapting their course formats and using technology to serve their students.” This included a recommendation that they, “Engage generative AI tools to give feedback or facilitate ‘discussion’ on readings or assignments.”

“For some bewildering reason, they decided to throw in an extremely non-conventional and ultimately self-damaging suggestion that we just use ChatGPT to do the work,” said a faculty member who spoke with The Daily Beast on the condition of anonymity. “It’s honestly pretty shocking.”

The faculty member added that BU’s administration's recommendation came as a surprise largely because most discussions surrounding generative AI in classrooms are about how the school can “prevent our students from irresponsibly using generative AI in class and assigned work.”