Talking with students about generative AI
Generative AI is already part of our lives and academic experience. Having conversations with students about generative AI helps build trust in the classroom and reduces anxiety and uncertainty about AI use. It also helps address the concerns students may have about the impact of AI in their future.
When talking to students about generative AI, be transparent about your own relationship with AI — whether you use it for research, course preparation, or other professional tasks. This honesty helps students see AI as a tool to be understood and managed rather than something to hide. In addition, frame the discussion around skill development rather than restriction and punishment. Start with open-ended questions like "How many of you have used AI tools?", “How are you using it?”, or "What ethical concerns do you see with this technology?” This approach creates a non-judgmental space where students feel comfortable sharing their actual practices rather than what they think you want to hear.
Below are some resources you may find helpful:
- AI dialogue with students. Center for Teaching & Learning, University of Colorado Boulder. (Web resource)
- Danny Liu (July 2025). Six shifts in language that may help educators and students with generative AI. (LinkedIn post)
- Michelle Kassorla (July 2025). A primer for returning to the classroom with AI. (Blog post)
- The 2025 Student Guide to Artificial Intelligence. (Web resource)
For more support on talking about AI with students, contact the Faculty Liaison for Academic Standards or Advancements in Teaching Excellence.
Have questions?
Faculty with questions about academic integrity may contact the Faculty Liaison for Academic Standards. An awarding winning teaching professor, Lyndsay Munro is available to all faculty to assist with navigating the academic integrity process and to provide training to design teaching in ways that preemptively address issues and prevent them before they happen.