By ARANTXA TABERNEIRO
Staff Writer
At Wingate University, the limitations and ways to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) are changing. What used to be a supplementary tool for teachers now is becoming more institutionalized in the learning process. As its use becomes widespread in both classes and daily academic life, the university community has begun to engage in discussions on integrity, digital literacy and the role that the institution should play as technology develops faster than the policies intended to govern it.
As these conversations occur, faculty, administrators and students are also experiencing a shift that brings both promise and concern. The question is no longer whether AI should be used, but rather how it may be used without compromising the critical learning the university sees as central to its mission.
In just a few years, AI has become a daily academic resource for many Wingate students. María-Sophie Müller, an International Business student, said she uses it as an enhanced search engine. “I use it as my Google and ask a lot of questions,” Müller said. “When it comes to literature assignments, I ask about the structure of the paper, for example, and let me give examples. I usually double-check my grammar with AI.”
Müller’s experience aligns with trends seen at U.S. universities, where students report using programs like ChatGPT to answer questions, organize ideas and structure texts rather than simply complete their homework.
A 2024 study on student perspectives on generative AI reported that more than 70% of surveyed college students say AI helps them understand complex content more easily and clearly. For other students, such as Rodrigo De La Torre—also an International Business student at Wingate—the line between extra help from AI and substitution is not always clear. “I use AI for everything, it’s my Google right now,” De La Torre said. “For paragraphs, grammar, doubts, questions I may have…”
However, he also admits that sometimes AI replaces parts of the learning process. “I don’t really know, sometimes I learn— when I search for curiosity or to learn more—but sometimes it replaces it—when I need to do a quick assignment,” De La Torre said.
He also believes proper use must be emphasized. “Freedom with AI. It’s the future and you gotta learn how to use it correctly,” he said. “Using AI doesn’t mean the answer will be right, you need to check and verify information.”
A similar point of view is held by Fernanda Castillo, a Marketing and Public Relations student. She considers AI a helpful tool rather than a shortcut. “I usually use AI for school stuff like organizing my ideas, fixing grammar, getting examples, or helping me understand something I don’t get,” Castillo said. “AI does help me learn, especially when it explains things in a simpler way. But sometimes it makes me skip the actual learning when I’m rushing an assignment.”
Castillo also mentions that clear rules are necessary. “I think the policy should let AI be a tool, not a shortcut,” she said. “I think AI should be a helpful tool in college, not something banned.” Professors and faculty members are also trying to find ways to use AI to improve teaching without compromising academic integrity or the acquisition of necessary knowledge.
Sergio Castello, Ph.D., dean of the Porter B. Byrum School of Business, allows his students to use AI with specific conditions. “Yes, they can use Perplexity,” Castello said. “I ask them to double-check their work using AI.”
For Castello, AI can enhance the educational experience once students have the foundational knowledge of the course. “It can enhance the learning experience, but first they have to gain the knowledge in the subject matter,” he said. He added that AI tools can also function as tutoring resources, especially for problems that require step-by-step solutions.
Ben Sidbury, general counsel and senior vice president at Wingate University, agrees that AI must be formally and strategically integrated into higher education. “I think students need to be fluent in AI usage when they graduate,” Sidbury said. “Employers will expect students to know how to use AI, and our students will be at a disadvantage if they can’t use AI effectively.” Sidbury not only allows but encourages his students to use AI for written assignments and research projects, limiting its use only for in-class exams.
“AI allows learning and critical thinking to be more efficient and faster,” Sidbury said. “I think there’s a way to reconcile the goal of learning critical-thinking skills with using AI tools to make learning more efficient and effective.”
A UNESCO analysis states that AI is no longer optional in higher education, noting in its Guidance for Generative AI in Education and Research (2023) that “everyone in higher education must acquire at least a basic understanding of AI in order to make informed decisions.”
The progress being made in its AI-use policies at Wingate aims to ensure graduates are prepared for a world where artificial intelligence will be a fundamental part of the workplace.
Wingate Triangle 