How Maryland students can use AI the right way

August 5, 2026 - 04:54

As artificial intelligence becomes a common tool in workplaces and daily life, Maryland's colleges and universities face a choice. They can treat AI as a threat to academic integrity, or they can treat it as a skill to be mastered. The better path is the second one, and it starts with how we teach students to use it.

The fear is understandable. Professors worry about essays written in seconds and problem sets solved without a single original thought. But banning AI outright is like banning calculators in the 1970s. It ignores the reality that these tools are here to stay. The real issue is not whether students use AI, but how they use it.

Used responsibly, AI can actually strengthen the value of a degree. It can help students brainstorm research topics, check their logic, or explain a difficult concept in a new way. It can serve as a tutor that is available at 2 a.m. when no one else is around. The key is teaching students to see AI as a collaborator, not a ghostwriter.

That means assignments need to change. Instead of asking for a final product, professors can ask for the process. Students can submit their prompts, their edits, and their reflections on what the AI got wrong. This turns the tool into a learning exercise rather than a shortcut.

Maryland has a chance to lead here. Our schools can set clear guidelines that allow AI for certain tasks while requiring original work for others. They can invest in training for faculty so that grading focuses on critical thinking, not just output.

The goal is not to make college easier. It is to make it more relevant. Students who learn to question AI, verify its answers, and combine it with their own judgment will be better prepared for a world where these tools are everywhere. That is not a weakening of higher education. It is an upgrade.