Students at the University of Pennsylvania penned a powerful op-ed expressing concerns about the increasing presence of artificial intelligence in classrooms and the threat it poses to free, critical thinking.
Penn introduced its first major in AI in 2024, becoming the first Ivy League school to do so, as reported by The Daily Pennsylvanian. The students noted that since then, the school has added 10 undergraduate, 21 graduate, and eight doctoral programs in the field.
The students acknowledge that AI is becoming a part of daily life and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future. According to a 2025 survey, nearly 90% of students have used AI for academic purposes, and 29% use it daily. That number is rising — 73% of students report using AI more this year than last.
Amid this rapid expansion of focus on the technology, the editorial board of the Pennsylvanian criticized the university for the potential negative effects of AI's extensive use. It noted that many professors lack consistent guidelines for students' use of generative AI, calling it a threat to academic integrity.
"We attend this institution to develop hard skills, question the world around us, solve problems, produce new ideas, and the ability to think for ourselves," it wrote. "With the university forcing AI into our learning every chance it gets, do we end up gaining knowledge or cheat codes?"
The students also pointed out the social and safety risks posed by the technology. Overreliance on it inhibits social interactions, and the programs regularly provide biased, false, and outright dangerous information with little accountability.
While AI is helping make positive advancements in many fields, including medicine, weather forecasting, and farming, Penn students argue that the tech should not dominate educational spaces.
"The irony is that as Penn pours endless money and energy into AI advancement in its attempt to get ahead, the university is only quickening its own demise. AI cannot coexist with education — it can only degrade it," the editorial concluded, emphasizing the importance of human thought in academic settings.
A post to the social platform X highlighting the letter drew strong reactions from readers.
"Critical thinking has to come first," one wrote. "Then add the accelerant."
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Save $1,000 this year 💸 "The danger is not the presence of technology but the absence of agency," another added.
"The irony of an institution undermining the very skills it exists to cultivate," a third said.
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