Amidst the recent negative media accounts from the Wall Street Journal and others of an “American Rebellion Against AI,” students and others may be wondering, not only about their future job prospects, but whether they should even use AI.
As an educator, I think this is a fundamental question that all students from first grade to graduate level will, at one point in their studies, confront.
And I share the view of several leaders who are far wiser and more accomplished than me.
Then-Fed Chair Jerome Powell, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and film director Martin Scorsese all advised in the past year: Learn how use to AI. Learn how to master AI.
Jerome Powell speaking to econ students
“These large language models make people much more productive. I feel it making me much more productive because I can learn things very quickly….I think if you use [AI] well, it’s making you more productive.
Jerome powell
“So, I think you’re in a situation where you need to invest the time to really master the use of these new technologies. And that should stand you in good stead.”
Justice Sotomayor to law students:
“For every student in this room, do not graduate this institution without learning how to master AI as a tool.”
Justice Sonia Sotomayor
Martin Scorsese to filmmakers and audience
“[AI] eliminates a number of steps, and that is really a big help… I think whatever new tool comes along, learn to use it, whether it’s virtual or whether it’s AI.”
Martin Scorsese
Augmenting one’s skills
Of course, learning how to use AI doesn’t mean to abuse it, such as students using it to cheat on college exams as apparently is widespread. (Luckily, that’s not the case with law schools, many of which moved to in-person exams using exam software and no AI access! Law students still have to pass the bar, and they can’t use AI during the bar exam. So law schools would be shirking their duties if they turned a blind eye to students cheating their way through law school exams and then failing the bar exam—and not becoming lawyers.)
Back in 2023, when genAI started taking off, I wrote about the real dangers of using AI in ways that researchers now call “cognitive offloading.” I stand by my concerns.
At same time, as Jerome Powell said, AI can make you more productive. It certainly has for me, and I’m not even a heavy AI user.
More important, for my law students, lawyers are expected now to know how to use Legal AI tools. So law schools would be committing educational malpractice if we didn’t offer what Justice Sotomayor described — instruction for them to learn how to master AI before leaving law school.
Law students entering the work force will need to know how to use Legal AI on Day One.
The challenge is that AI is developing so fast it’s hard for educators to even have knowledge of the latest AI models or advances. It could be changing by the week, if not day.