Up First from NPR Higher Education’s AI Problem
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Nov 23, 2025 
Leigh Gaines, an education reporter specializing in AI and higher education, discusses the transformative impact of AI on college campuses. She highlights how ChatGPT quickly became a go-to tool for students, raising concerns about academic integrity and the value of degrees. Universities are urged to focus on irreplaceable skills like critical thinking, while students adapt by using AI responsibly. Gaines also explores implications for teaching practices, noting the challenge of fostering genuine learning in an AI-driven landscape.
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Student Panic Over Code-Generating AI
- Max Moundis panicked when ChatGPT first generated code that seemed better than his own.
- He sought advice from professor Dan Arena and worried his CS degree might be obsolete.
Professor Tests ChatGPT On Actual Final
- Dan Arena gave his final exam to ChatGPT (as a fictitious student) to test its readiness.
- The bot scored below students at first, then improved to low 80s in a later retest.
AI Improvements Force Course Redesign
- Improvements in ChatGPT show rapid capability gains that will force curriculum changes.
- Arena says he must redesign courses when AI matches student skills to keep students relevant.