Artificial intelligence is everywhere. From automated Google responses to ChatGPT, the technology is rapidly integrating into our daily lives. As AI makes its way into formal education, however, we might need to do a double-take.
Some innovations are revolutionary, providing services humans aren’t capable of, such as the use of AI in medicine for diagnostic purposes or personalized patient care. When AI is used to augment human skills and abilities rather than replace them, the payoffs trump the downsides.
Some AI developments are just plain weird, though. “Friend,” an AI friendship necklace, is a pendant that provides advice and companionship by always listening. As a substitute for human friendship, this technology is blurring the line between innovation and absurdity. This $129 necklace has over 200,000 users now, according to Friend’s website.
But now, AI isn’t just a part of our daily lives — it’s a part of our education, and it’s developing faster than we are.
The University of Iowa announced its new AI certificate program to be offered in 2026, claiming it will prepare students to operate successfully in an AI-dominated world. Centered around software processing and engineering, the certificate offers courses that blend the use of AI with machine learning and programming.
But if we don’t properly understand AI ourselves, how can anyone consider themselves an expert?
The UI Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost said the AI certificate will work to educate students about the capabilities, limitations, and ethical standards of AI, emphasizing “both proficiency in using AI tools and human-centered applications of AI.”
Classes will teach students how to integrate AI into both academic and professional work in the years to come.
The UI isn’t alone in this trend. Across the country, universities have integrated AI into their curriculum as a response to market pressures and an increased demand for experimentation, according to a report from the Educause Review.
This feels like a byproduct of our increasingly tech-driven world — we are formalizing something we don’t fully understand. Universities need to ask if they are responsibly embracing AI and what it has to offer, or if they are just racing to keep up with tech development.
That’s not to say it’s all bad to incorporate AI initiatives into education, or that it’s impossible for humans and AI to operate simultaneously. Many universities already use AI for helpful educational programs, such as the University of Bridgeport’s personalized learning and
data-driven approach.
AI is not going away soon, so we need to recognize it in an academic setting. But doing so without understanding all its capabilities, and not using it for the right reasons is where education becomes threatened.
A 2024 UNESCO survey concluded fewer than 10 percent of schools and universities have AI-use policies, creating a gray area where academic integrity and accuracy can easily slip.
Bias contributes to fear around the technology’s use in education, as AI learns from already existing human data. AI’s algorithms are only as unbiased as the data its software is trained on, so it can portray existing biases as truth.
These concerns are either being disregarded by institutions, or AI’s easy accessibility is pressuring initiatives to be taken without considering the dangers. Whatever is true at the UI, students are seeing how AI implementation is being fast-tracked.
“I think the university is offering the AI certificate as more of a trend response,” Braylon Demattia, a second-year UI student, said. “It sounds like something they are trying to use to grab students’ attention and get ahead of our AI use, not really help with our learning.”
Indeed, the UI’s initiative could create more job opportunities and help prepare students to be involved in the future of their field. However, in reality, AI tends to erode human jobs and capabilities, as people are replaced with automated systems.
We’re already seeing the negatives. A report by the Stanford Digital Economy Lab published in August found a 13 percent relative decline in employment for employees aged 22 to 25, especially in software engineering and customer service professions, which are highly exposed to AI-automation.
Education is the number one precursor for future careers. So educational institutions embracing a technology replacing human jobs seems counterproductive.
AI has faults, so the question remaining is whether the new certificate will help humans solve problems or dull human ability.
It’s up to us to stay smarter and more human than the machines we create, especially when we choose to weave them into higher education.