Know Your Enemy Great Books and the AI Apocalypse (w/ Matt Dinan) [Teaser]
4 snips
Jan 2, 2026 
In this intriguing discussion, Matt Dinan, a professor at St. Thomas University and expert on Saul Bellow, explores the impact of AI on learning. He highlights how students today grapple with anxiety and purpose, often turning to AI tools for quick solutions. Dinan shares insights on teaching in a digital age, revealing how devices shape attention and learning experiences. He also reflects on a transformative trip to Greece with students, celebrating their love for genuine learning and the challenges of maintaining that passion amidst technological distractions.
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Confession Of A Lazy Student
- Sam Adler-Bell admits he would have used AI as a lazy student and still relies on manufactured crises to get writing done.
- He expresses sympathy for students' laziness while denying contempt for those who use such tools.
Pre-Screen World Shapes Teaching
- Dinan emphasizes generational differences: older faculty experienced a pre-total-screen world that shaped different habits and expectations.
- He argues professors must understand students' digital-conditioned realities when designing courses and responses to AI.
Treat AI Use As A Symptom
- Address structural anxieties and lack of internal purpose rather than treating AI use as mere vice.
- Try to build classroom practices that engage students' sense of meaning to reduce dependence on AI shortcuts.
