​​Preserving Authentic Thinking in the Era of Artificial Knowledge: A Manifesto for Liberal Arts Education in the Age of AI

Integrating Digital Literacy and Inclusivity  

1.     The ability to read and write critically is, and always will be a crucial aspect of the liberal arts environment. In the age of artificial intelligence (AI) enhancing the Liberal Arts community’s digital literacy skills is imperative to continuously foster an environment of critical thinking. Digital literacy encompasses individuals’ ability to comprehend and critically assess digital content, including, propaganda, social media posts, advertisements, public relations statements, and news articles. Professors of Liberal Arts will be encouraged to integrate digital literacy into applicable courses. We believe a digitally literate individual holds a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between technology and society. Through improving technological literacy, students will be more equipped to decipher inevitable biases within AI-generated media, and contemporary culture. 

The Art of Lateral Verification 

2.     The robust presence of AI will not diminish our dedication to teaching social responsibility from the beginning of students’ academic journey. Social responsibility involves acknowledging the impacts of one’s options, this appears in personal relationships and educational discourse. To continue placing value upon social responsibility, students will be taught the act of lateral verification in their first-year seminars. The skill of lateral verification teaches students to look beyond digital media’s exterior, as information is not always as it seems. Instead, students will be taught to not only question the credibility of an author but whether the author is human or AI. To evaluate a source laterally, one must gather all the accessible information regarding a source, involving; author(s), beliefs the author is affiliated with, date of publication, and content typically posted by source, to name a few. This practice currently takes place in Liberal Arts but must be re-established to account for a new form of content produced by AI. Students must not only consider if an author is qualified to write upon a subject, but whether the author is human or an algorithm. AI inevitably contains algorithmic biases, which must be evaluated before students can verify media’s accuracy. Through our commitment to teaching the essential skill of lateral verification, liberal art students will understand how to seek out biases in digital content and avoid enabling or escalating the presence of harmful biases in institutions. 

 Writing the Human Touch

3.     Liberal Art education will encourage students to create with the intention of contesting the products of AI. With the help of applications like Chat GPT, a formal academic paper can be produced in a matter of seconds. We do not value sameness, rather we value linguistic difference. To facilitate a learning environment where writing upholds its value, the expectations for written assignments will evolve. In the age of AI, creative and opinion-based writing will be encouraged, and rewarded. Through creative and opinion-based writing, evidence of humanity will emerge and, in turn, demonstrate knowledge acquisition. In order to succeed in Liberal Arts, students must produce writing that is unique, emotional, analytical, and responsive. Considering Liberal Arts is driven by future-based outcomes, and the work force is beginning to value creativity over tradition, it’s imperative we teach students how to differentiate themselves from a machine through a creative approach. 

In Person Assessments:  

4.     AI will drastically change the course of the liberal arts experience, but it must not diminish the importance of assessing one’s knowledge. However, as we are adapting our curriculum to fit the demands of AI, we must consider issues that exist in standard education. The structure of in-class tests promotes a high-stress, anxiety-inducing environment that may cause students to receive a grade that does not reflect their true understanding of the subject. As we are encountering a new era of education, the liberal arts community will emphasize a system of testing that is accurate and considers the needs of all students. Therefore, we will introduce problem-sourced workshops, as an alternative to standard testing. These assessments will be conducted in groups, and students will be given real-life scenarios adjacent to course material, designed by AI, and attempt to propose a solution. An example of these assessments in action could be producing a news analysis in a media and society course. Students would be shown news footage, about the same event, from different sources. Then, students would evaluate the source’s intent, question the presence of disinformation, and attempt to produce an unbiased description of the events being reported upon. This process will enhance students’ ability to solve problems and collaborate with humans, while simultaneously forcing engagement with important current events. In the age of AI, liberal arts promise to facilitate environments where students are still learning how to evaluate and create work that is unique and self-reflective, without placing unnecessary pressure upon students, as college is already stressful enough!  

Rewarding Inventiveness 

5.     The presence of AI allocates much of the learning material. By the time students are seniors they will have consumed much of the necessary information and may no longer need to be formally lectured. Due to these concerns, we propose a solution that will benefit students outside the walls of a college.  Senior year of college, students will be required to pursue a semester-long independent project of their choice. The projects will be overseen by an advisor, depending on the chosen topic. Our new policy will grant students the gift of choice. An English major may choose to write a Sci-Fi novel, and a biology major may undergo a time-consuming experiment. We believe this change in curriculum will encourage students to dapple with possible career paths or study a topic they were never able to prior. The projects will be graded by their inventiveness and quality. Innovation equates to success, by allowing our students to innovate with low stakes, we are preparing them for a future where an innovative attitude is necessary when you’re competing with a machine. Most importantly to us, providing students with the space to choose, allows students to spend adequate time with ideas they are passionate about, and ultimately produces happiness. 

Seminar-Style Courses

6.     The power of human-to-human conversation will prevail, even in an era where we can conversate with machines. It’s very important in Liberal Arts that human-to-human engagement is valued in the classroom. A seminar-style course is rooted in discussion allowing conversation and ideas to flourish. Students are asked questions about material they read outside of class. This form of course exists in Liberal Arts but will be integrated into more courses. We believe this is necessary in the era of AI, because it keeps students on their toes, and forces them to engage with one another and scholarly material. The ability to facilitate an engaging conversation is threatened by AI, as many human-mirroring chat boxes exist. Yet, individuals must understand each other, on an emotional level, as it promotes an overall understanding of how one’s actions impact another’s. Increasing the presence of seminar-style classes suppresses the probability of individuals losing their emotional ties to humanity. Students will learn to be intellectually agile, and experience true situations where people hold differing opinions. As we navigate Liberal Arts in the presence of AI, we are paying extra attention to elements that make humans human. Our commitment to fostering meaningful conversations in a classroom environment becomes a necessary principle for ensuring students exit college as individuals who can navigate, question, and contribute to a rapidly evolving society. 

 More Money, More Time Outside! 

7.     With the presence of AI, it’s crucial for students to engage with the world outside of a computer screen. Liberal Arts already gives each course a certain budget, to foster a creative learning environment, however, we believe this budget should be increased. It’s difficult to increase budgets, but as AI becomes more prevalent, many managerial positions will be unnecessary. Therefore, the amount of money spent on employee compensation will decrease, allowing for extra funds. Some of these funds can go to classes that request activities outside of the classroom. We, at Liberal Arts institutions, place value on teaching students how to address new situations with confidence and compassion. Providing the ability for students and professors to immerse themselves in communities surrounding Liberal Arts colleges will contribute to students’ openness. Especially in the era of AI, where it’s easy to gain knowledge merely online, we continue to believe the most efficient way to acquire knowledge is through real-life experiences. Allowing students to learn from communities outside of their own will aid in teaching the skill of adaptability, one that will continue to be more important as we enter a new era built upon innovation. 

Teaching Environmental Sustainability 

8.     Innovation surrounding technology introduces many promising adaptations to liberal arts education, but that does not mean technological innovation does not have a negative influence. Many forms of technological innovation threaten the environment and perpetrate environmental injustice. In response to the degrading environment, we believe it is our responsibility to ensure every student understands the importance of environmental sustainability, and how to implement sustainable practices into everyday life. Therefore, we will require students to take at least one class that teaches environmental sustainability. As a result, students will develop a multi-dimensional thought process that considers nonhumans, the environment, and underprivileged communities. This way of thinking can be applied to subjects beyond the environment. However, to uphold the promises of a liberal arts education, students must be socially, personally, and environmentally responsible. Our responsibility is to protect humans and nonhumans alike, who are negatively affected by human-induced environmental harm, which begins at the level of education. 

Cultural Immersion Through AI 

9.     Liberal Arts deeply values experiences of cultural immersion, which is why many institutions have numerous students participate in abroad programs each year. However, we acknowledge that not every student can spend a semester in another country, which is why we will turn to AI to solve this inconsistency. We will be implementing clubs, and possibly eventually classes, that allow students to spend an impressive amount of time in another country without taking a flight. Liberal Arts believes studying abroad has merit because it teaches students the skill of adaptability, which is why we will take advantage of the ability to provide every single student the means to travel abroad, even if it’s virtual! The AI travel simulator will allow students to travel to a city of their choice, weekly, for a whole semester. The accurate simulation of a destination will allow students to emerge into another environment, interact with people, and witness significant sites. The students will then be able to share their findings with others. Liberal Arts holds inclusivity to be crucial in a learning environment, and AI provides opportunities to promote inclusivity. Moreover, a travel simulator will allow students to travel to unique places they are physically unable to travel to because of violence of inaccessibility. This will encourage liberal art students to understand the deep layers of culture and surpass existing biases by understanding a culture for what it is, not for ideas promoted by the media. 

Teaching Necessary Skills 

10.  As education is emerging into an AI epoch, we are given the unique opportunity to critique our current system of learning. Many students critique high education's lack of teaching surrounding elements that will be crucial in post-grad including, budgeting money, paying back loans, paying mortgages, and even cooking sustainable meals! As we re-assess the learning environment we must consider student voices. Therefore, the discourse surrounding post-grad must be apparent in the liberal arts curriculum. This may take the form of an informative web page created by a student for their independent senior project, or a club. However, we believe informing students on the important decisions and economic elements of adult life, is the best way to ensure students enter the post-grad world confidently and readily, as liberal arts promises. 

Academic Writing 

An ode to the many, many hours I spent in my college dorm reading and writing.