‘I wish I could push ChatGPT off a cliff’: professors scramble to save critical thinking in an age of AI

March 10, 2026

TL;DR

Professors are experimenting with offline learning methods to counteract student reliance on AI.
The rise of AI is seen as a unique threat to the humanities, raising questions about the purpose of higher education.
Many faculty members view AI as antithetical to the development of human intelligence and critical thinking skills.
Some universities are embracing AI across all majors, while others are struggling to adapt and guide faculty.
Concerns exist about AI exacerbating educational divides, creating a two-tiered system of learning.
Professors are resorting to alternative assessment methods like oral interrogations and handwritten work.
Despite administrative embrace of AI, many faculty are organizing informally to resist its encroachment.
Some educators see the AI challenge as an opportunity to teach students critical thinking about technology itself.
Students are showing increasing discomfort with technology and its dominance, with some actively rejecting AI.
There's a growing emphasis on uniquely human qualities as a counterpoint to AI and a call to preserve humanity.

Continue reading the original article