Jenna A. Robinson, president of the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, wrote for Front Porch Republic about the need for universities to reclaim their true purpose in the age of artificial intelligence. She argues that higher education was once devoted to forming citizens and human beings, not just training workers—but over time, it has reduced learning to “skills for the global economy.” With tools such as ChatGPT now capable of performing many technical tasks, Robinson contends that universities must refocus on what makes education distinctly human: wisdom, virtue, and discernment. AI can write, calculate, and even create, she notes, but it cannot think, feel, or marvel. Colleges must therefore emphasize the moral and intellectual formation of students—cultivating the habits and understanding that no machine can replicate.
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