ASU's law school to let prospective students use AI on applications
Arizona State University's law school will soon allow prospective students to use artificial intelligence while crafting their admissions materials.
The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law is the first in the nation to greenlight the use of generative AI in applications. That technology mimics human behavior to produce content and includes tools such as ChatGPT and Google Bard.
Dean Stacy Leeds said the shift was driven by an "innovative mindset." By embracing the emerging technology, she hopes to better prepare students for their future careers. She said the change also "breaks down barriers" for prospective students and makes the admissions process more accessible to all.
"We want to level the playing field and provide students with access to many tools," she said. "Some applicants hire third-party consultants to assist with their law school applications to several law schools. AI is a new tool that is more accessible to every applicant, and many online tools are free to anyone with internet access."
The announcement comes as AI programs advance rapidly and boom in popularity.
At ASU's law school, prospective students will be required to disclose if they used AI programs while preparing their admissions materials, Leeds said. The law school also asks applicants to disclose whether they were assisted by a third-party consultant.
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Additionally, students will be required to certify that all information contained in their application is accurate.
"False information on an application would be a breach of our integrity rules," Leeds said.
The law school will also teach courses discussing the legal, policy and ethical implications of AI, Leeds said. The college already offers a certificate in Law, Science and Technology, she said, which includes classes that explore emerging technology.
"Given the acceleration of AI capabilities this past year, AI will now be a topic integrated into more and more courses across the curriculum so that we can best prepare students for the rapidly evolving legal profession," Leeds said.
No other school at ASU is currently planning to greenlight AI use by students, said ASU spokeswoman Veronica Sanchez. However, the university does use an AI chatbot in its recruitment efforts and is currently experimenting with using the technology to help its admissions team process applications. AI is not used to make admissions decisions, Sanchez said.
AI in education?
AI programs are being met with different reactions from educational institutions across the country.
Most universities lack firm policies on the use of AI tools by students, leaving it largely in the hands of individual instructors. Some, such as the University of Vermont, have issued guidance to faculty on how to include policies around the use of AI in their syllabi. Others, like the University of Michigan Law School, have outright banned the use of ChatGPT and similar tools on applications, according to Reuters.
Turnitin, an education technology company that built its reputation off its tools to detect plagiarism in student work and is used by thousands of schools across the country, launched a new feature in April that promises to flag writing created by AI applications.
At the high school level, two major curriculum providers for advanced coursework disagree about whether students should be able to use AI programs for writing assignments. The College Board, which administers Advance Placement courses, said it will prohibit the use of ChatGPT. International Baccalaureate will allow it with proper attribution.
Meanwhile, AI tools are quickly becoming more advanced. Academic researchers have proven ChatGPT can pass law and business exams, although not necessarily with high scores.
Sasha Hupka covers higher education for The Arizona Republic. Do you have a tip on Arizona's universities, community colleges or trade schools? Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU Law to let applicants use artificial intelligence
