Clarifying Ethical Dilemmas in Sharpening Students’ Artificial Intelligence Proficiency: Dispelling Myths About Using AI Tools in Higher Education

Artificial intelligence has been talked about for over half a century now. Still, it became a fast-growing reality in 2023 through modern technologies, such as Meta AI, Open AI, or ChatGPT, and has created some ethical concerns. This research provides examples of how AI is being used in academia, how it can be used, and how to assess college students’ familiarity with such technologies, their perception of it, and level of usage. Using an AI-generated short survey to gather quantitative and qualitative data through a discussion exercise, 126 undergraduates with four different professors were asked to share their answers and views. The findings show that many of today’s college students in South Florida see the usage of AI as ethical and legal. However, a few respondents remain uncertain due to a lack of clear guidelines from professors and the institution. Thus, most respondents reported that they are familiar with AI as they use it multiple times weekly. Consequently, educators and administrators must sharpen their students’ AI skills so they can be ethical and competitive in the workplace. Implications for students, educators and administrators in the higher education arena are explored. Besides serving as a person’s second brain, using AI can be an excellent way for students to mitigate and overcome procrastination, enhance their productivity, and comprehensively complete academic projects on time. Furthermore, the proper use of AI tools can reduce errors, quickly assess large amounts of data, automate repetitive functions, lead to better decisions, and help learners move forward amid challenging obstacles. As such, academic institutions must do more to ensure they are “sharpening their students’ AI saw” before they graduate and embark on their professional endeavors. Artificial intelligence, when used properly, ethically, and legally following established industry norms and guidelines, offers many transformative benefits across diverse fields to benefit human beings and society. Students pursuing a healthcare career can use AI to aid in early disease detection, accelerate drug discovery, and improve patient care through precision medicine. Graduates in the engineering or transportation industries can use AI to optimize traffic flow, enhance safety with autonomous vehicles, and reduce emissions through predictive maintenance. Moreover, those who remain in the education field after graduation can use AI to facilitate personalized learning experiences tailored to individual student needs while fostering greater engagement and academic success for all learners. The latest advancements underscore AI’s potential to drive innovation, increase efficiency, and address complex challenges while ultimately shaping a more interconnected and prosperous future for everyone in society.