Today, the AAUP released a new report, Artificial Intelligence and Academic Professions, sharing survey findings and calling for the establishment of policies in colleges and universities that prioritize economic security, faculty working conditions, and student learning conditions as advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies accelerate.
The report, prepared by the AAUP's ad hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Academic Professions, is the result of ongoing research with AAUP members spanning institution types and job categories across the country and comes as administrations sign lucrative contracts for corporate education technologies and “partnerships” without meaningful faculty consultation. As one survey respondent noted, “We have seen a number of tech decisions at my institution that massively impact the teaching and research mission in very negative ways—that apparently no one thought of, because no one consulted the faculty before making what they thought was only a tech decision.” This constitutes a violation of widely accepted practices of shared governance and an area of urgent concern for AAUP chapters, faculty unions, and higher education advocacy organizations.
“People are terrified of the onslaught of uncritical AI narratives and partnerships across many sectors and what it means for the future,” said Britt Paris, chair of the ad hoc committee and professor in the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. “But in talking with higher education workers across the country, we have seen that AI in higher education is barely even functional and tech companies view the sector as a cash cow to exploit.”
The report will be followed by materials and programming related to AI in higher education in the coming year. “We in higher education labor are dedicated to providing meaningful learning experiences for our students and are willing to fight for it,” said AAUP President Todd Wolfson.
The AAUP has been dedicated throughout its history to principles of shared governance, calling attention in recent decades to the importance of involving faculty members in decisions related to the adoption of new technologies. Taking a stand against top-down AI implementation is consistent with the Association's broader commitment to the contributions of higher education to a democratic society.
Read the full report, along with an executive summary and resource guide, here.