By: Makayla Wrigley
FARMINGTON – As artificial intelligence continues to evolve and thrive further than we could’ve imagined, its abilities in a professional and/or academic setting have caused much college-level controversy at University of Maine at Farmington. Students were very open to sharing their diverse perspectives on the integration of AI into their academic lives, as well as the near professional future in the many careers that students plan to pursue.
For Cheylin Meader, a passionate photographer, AI has proven itself to be a valuable tool in her creative process and photography/graphic design adventures. Initially skeptical of the lack of creativity that comes along with the easy access to plagiarism, Meader began to explore its potential for herself. “With photography being both a passion and a job, AI has helped me a lot with image editing and altering, which has made the editing process a lot easier and has helped me produce images for people a lot faster and more efficiently,” she said. Despite her ability to utilize AI throughout her creative process, Miss Meader draws the line at the use of AI academically. She said “…I don’t find it ethical to use programs like Chat GPT to do assignments for me as I feel like it takes away the learning from the work we’re doing.”
Similarly, Talon Gilbert, a psychology major graduating in 2027, highlights the practical use of having AI in your toolbelt while in the classroom. “In one course, we verified information from AI with credible sources and then used it to quiz ourselves,” he explained, showcasing how AI can complement traditional learning methods. The question, of course, being “where does the line get drawn?”
Nate Doane, an elementary education major, expressed a subtle view of AI’s role in academics and teaching. Of course, with great power comes great responsibility. While he finds AI useful for generating example texts and assisting with lesson planning, he worries about the potential loss of creativity. “I worry about students and teachers losing their creative spark to the convenience of AI in my future career,” Doane admitted, relating to a common concern that students might be using AI the wrong way.
Sophomore creative writing major, Aidan Currie says “I have never used AI for a class here at UMF, but that has been because I’ve been passionate about what I’ve had to write about, so I have not needed assistance.” Maintaining authenticity in his work was very emphasized but so was an emphasis on student and professor equality in AI usage. Currie said “I have also heard of some professors, not necessarily here in Farmington, that have used AI assistance to help write out and plan assignments, yet if students aren’t allowed to utilize that same tool, then it isn’t a fair structure.”
The University of Maine system’s student handbook states “The use of AI technologies in our school aligns with our mission to provide a high-quality education that prepares our students for success in the 21st century. AI technologies have the potential to support personalized learning and help teachers identify areas where students need extra support. They can also support research and writing activities and provide opportunities for students to develop skills related to critical thinking, problem-solving, and digital literacy. The University recognizes that an education in the 21st century includes generative AI literacy as well as proficiency in the use of a range of generative AI systems.”
Despite the differing perspectives amongst students and professors alike, the one thing that we can all agree on is that AI is here to stay. The key is to work with it, rather than against it. Currie’s point about equality in AI usage resonates as a call to action for educators to model the thoughtful integration of AI into academic practices. Moreover, Gilbert’s experiences suggest that collaborative approaches—such as using AI to verify information and enhance learning—may offer a middle ground between embracing technology and preserving human creativity.
In the words of Cheylin Meader, “It’s not about rejecting AI outright, but about using it wisely.” As schools like UMF grapple with the newfound and unexpected challenges of AI usage, the student voice will undoubtedly be heard and shape the policies around this new era of education.
