In The News: School of Law Dean Jacob Rooksby on AI and Higher Education

Jacob H. Rooksby, the Smithmoore P. Myers dean of the School of Law, penned a column for the latest issue of the "Spokane Journal of Business" in which he delves into the ramifications of the rise of AI, particularly when it comes to higher education. 

"The implications of AI technologies for higher education are vast," Rooksby writes. "The emergence of ChatGPT and similar AI tools have caused critics to question the value of traditional, in-person degree programs that higher education has to offer. Opened for reexamination is everything from what it means to plagiarize, to what it means to learn, to how we know what is true."

While there will be challenges to be sure, Rooksby rings an optimistic note on how programs like ChatGPT can be harnessed for good at schools like Gonzaga. The importance of teachers in helping cultivate thinkers and leaders "is more important than ever" as AI becomes more prevalent. 

"Artificial intelligence systems are designed to perform specific tasks efficiently and accurately, but they lack the creativity, empathy, emotional intelligence, and ethical reasoning that are essential to a well-functioning society," he writes. "That is where we in higher education come in. In particular, Jesuit higher education’s emphasis on critical thinking, ethics, and social justice will help students develop the skills and knowledge necessary to work alongside ChatGPT in responsible and principled ways."