Ohio State announced that all students from 2029 onward will graduate “AI fluent,” due to a new program implemented to teach students how to use AI in their coursework. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor
Ohio State will begin to include AI into their coursework, with a goal to ensure that every student, beginning with the class of 2029 onwards, will graduate proficient in AI usage.
The university’s AI Fluency program will launch this fall for all incoming first-year students in their undergraduate curriculum, according to a June 4 press release. The goal of the program is to help students use AI as a tool to help them innovate and learn, no matter what their major is.
“Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we live, work, teach and learn,” Walter “Ted” Carter Jr., Ohio State president, said in the release. “In the not-so-distant future, every job, in every industry, is going to be impacted in some way by AI. Ohio State has an opportunity and responsibility to prepare students to not just keep up, but lead in this workforce of the future.”
Incoming undergraduates will learn AI skills in their general education launch seminar, as well as GenAI workshops, according to its website. These workshops will be added to the university’s First Year Success Series, aiming to help new students adapt to college life. Additional workshops will also be offered to returning students.
A new course, “Unlocking Generative AI,” will also be offered to students in every major. The goal of the course is to teach students how to use AI responsibly, while exploring the program, the release states.
Since this program will be spread across all majors, graduates in computer science to arts programs will be fluent in how to use AI ethically in their disciplines, according to the press release.
“Through AI Fluency, Ohio State students will be ‘bilingual’—fluent in both their major field of study and the application of AI in that area,” Ravi V. Bellamkonda, executive vice president and provost, said in the press release.
This program follows Carters’ Education for Citizenship 2035 plan, which “aims to redefine the future of higher education,” the release states, while focusing on adapting and innovating from generation to generation.
The Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning will offer resources to educators and faculty on how to integrate AI into their teaching, according to the press release. A fund will also be launched to provide financial and advisory support to staff.
The university will offer two AI Fluency information sessions over Zoom on June 25 and July 15. To learn more about those sessions, visit the link here. To learn more about the AI Fluency program, visit the university’s website here.
