Schools continue to muddle through their approach to AI.
The most recent case comes out of UC Berkeley’s law school, which just banned students from using AI to complete assignments, brainstorm ideas, outline papers, and even correct grammar. “Future lawyers may need to use artificial intelligence (‘AI’) fluently,” the new Berkeley policy outlines. But “thinking remains the sine qua non of good lawyering (and of a quality legal education).”
The goal is to teach students — especially first years — how to use their judgement, rather than just repackaging the ideas of large language models, professor Chris Hoofnagle told Semafor. Students will still be able to use AI outside of assignments, like as a tutor, and take courses that teach AI proficiency.
But critics say the policy puts students at a disadvantage — that they won’t learn how people practice law today — or how to coexist with a technology that is rewiring the legal industry.
