It took two years to send the first email across ARPANET, the early computer network financed by the U.S. Department of Defense. It took twenty more for the network to evolve into the publicly accessible World Wide Web.
Technology moves much faster today. In just two months, beginning in November 2022, 100 million people engaged with ChatGPT, a chatbot app that packaged the seemingly infinite potential of generative artificial intelligence (AI). Our lives are now enmeshed with AI, which appears as predictive text in emails, autocorrect in our messaging apps, and the “because you watched” recommendations on streaming platforms.
For many in higher education, including faculty and administrators at Penn State Behrend, generative AI was initially met with concern: How would we protect academic integrity? What would students who used AI to shortcut learning lose by doing so?
Those discussions quickly shifted, however, as it became obvious that AI is not a passing trend but a foundational change. We now view AI not just as a challenge to traditional learning but as a powerful tool that can enhance teaching and innovation across disciplines.
At Behrend, an interdisciplinary team is focusing expertise in foundational AI, machine learning, and data science to develop opportunities that will better prepare Behrend students for an increasingly digital future. We have developed two AI certificate programs, which will begin this fall, and a noncredit workshop, AI Essentials for Professionals, that is open to community learners. We are taking the first steps toward creating an AI research center.
Our graduates’ career paths are linked to digital literacy, including fluency in AI. A 2024 survey by LinkedIn and Microsoft found that 75 percent of global companies prefer candidates with AI skills. But those employers also really value critical thinking, which has long been a hallmark of a Behrend education. Because here’s the thing: AI is still just a tool. It is ineffective—and can even be damaging—when users don’t know how to validate its outputs and innovate within its limitations.
The shift to AI is a reality we must face as we continuously reassess the shape and purpose of higher education. Our faculty are tasked with preparing students for an ever-evolving job market. They do so, in part, by shaping individuals who can thrive across decades of accelerating change.
Here at Behrend, we view this as an opportunity: Rather than compete with machines, we seek to empower students to ethically and effectively employ AI and adapt to an unpredictable world.
Chancellor Ralph Ford
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