Keen On America Episode 2529: Who is cheating whom in American universities?
May 10, 2025
Keith Teare, a tech-savvy publisher known for his insights on AI and the internet, dives into the implications of technology in education. He passionately defends a Columbia student expelled for using AI, sparking a debate on what constitutes cheating. Teare questions the exorbitant college fees versus the accessibility AI brings. He also discusses the evolving dynamics of web search and the threats to Google from AI advancements. Finally, he examines the tension between profit motives and ethical considerations in the rapidly changing AI landscape.
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Episode notes
Student Expelled for AI Use
- A Columbia University student was expelled for using AI for around 80% of his project work.
- This raises the question of whether using advanced technology is considered cheating or early adoption.
AI Threatens University Business Model
- The high cost of university education is linked to universities capturing scarce talent to maintain their business models.
- AI threatens this model by making talent and knowledge more accessible and ubiquitous for free or low cost.
Colleges Must Embrace AI
- Colleges should embrace AI to remove mundane tasks from teachers and train them to differentiate good and bad AI outcomes.
- Best students will excel at using AI tools thoughtfully, improving their performance beyond lazy copying.