Colleges and universities across the United States are grappling with ethical questions surrounding the use of artificial intelligence both among students and faculty members. While institutions have long used AI detection tools to prevent student cheating, recent investigations have revealed cases of professors and administrators employing AI in ways that some consider ethically problematic.

Dartmouth College is currently investigating its provost, Santiago Schnell, a mathematical biologist, after a student-run newspaper found evidence suggesting that portions of his published writing may have been generated or heavily assisted by AI. Schnell publicly apologized for not always disclosing his use of AI, explaining that he employed the technology primarily for tasks such as language refinement, copyediting, and enhancing clarity. However, a review of his own apology by AI detection tools also flagged it as potentially AI-generated. The controversy followed an earlier investigation that identified AI use in an opinion piece Schnell authored for The Washington Post, which addressed the topic of AI-facilitated cheating.

Schnell’s case represents a growing number of faculty and administrators under scrutiny for AI use in written work ranging from research papers to campus-wide communications. At the University of California, Berkeley, student journalists reported that some official messages from top administrators appeared to have been composed or edited with AI assistance. Berkeley officials stated that AI was used as a tool under strict guidelines, emphasizing that the final content accurately reflected the author's intent after human editing.

Similarly, a survey at Brown University revealed that nearly two-thirds of undergraduate respondents expressed concerns about faculty members relying on AI to develop course materials such as lectures. National data indicates that about three-quarters of college faculty use generative AI tools to some extent, often for creating or modifying traditional assignments, though only a small percentage report frequent use in grading or research writing. Meanwhile, more than half of students say they use AI at least weekly for coursework.

Different institutions have varied approaches to regulating AI. The University of Southern California has explicit rules prohibiting faculty and staff from relying solely on AI for final decisions related to admissions or discipline, while also providing guidelines that underline the distinction between permissible and impermissible AI use. Stanford University, despite a detailed AI policy, recently faced criticism after digitally altering photographs in a manner that violated its own guidelines.

Experts acknowledge that the rapid development and adoption of AI tools on campuses have outpaced the establishment of clear social and ethical contracts governing their use. Some students accuse faculty members of hypocrisy, arguing that professors who use AI without transparency undermine academic integrity. Dartmouth senior Eli Moyse called for severe consequences in Schnell’s case, describing the situation as a breach of institutional values.

University leaders recognize that efforts to integrate AI into academic environments are still evolving. Dartmouth’s president, Sian Beilock, has described the institution’s early leadership in AI as “messy” but necessary for progress, acknowledging that “there will be missteps” as universities learn how to navigate the new landscape.