\u2014 including the introduction of AI courses in Launch Seminar, direct tool access for Buckeyes and differing forums for students to attend.<\/span><\/p>\nNow the current President of Ohio State, Bellamkonda said the university aims to make their students \u201cbilingual students\u2014 students who are fluent in AI, but really in the application of AI to the interest of their major and minor,\u201d in the release video.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”11018,11028,11015″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”75%” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Actor||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” width=”75%” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Credit: Courtesy of the Claude Builders Club<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_line_height=”1.8em” custom_padding=”||0px|||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Despite the excitement and push, some students say things have looked differently on their end this past school year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nSagar said he\u2019s had to advocate for himself to use AI to check his coursework.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cOne of my teachers finally allowed me to check my lab report with AI, and make sure I meet all of the rubrics, requirements and points.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nIn his program, he said he is barely even using AI in class.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI don\u2019t think there is enough AI usage in school,\u201d he said. \u201cEspecially being a computer science major, me telling you \u2018I was just able to check my lab report using AI\u2019 shows how barebones the actual usage in class is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nOn the administrative side of things, the initiative rollout has appeared differently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nOne of the university\u2019s progress markers has been the addition of an AI Faculty Fellow into the Office of Academic Affairs, Michael Flierl, who began his work as a faculty fellow during the autumn semester.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThis is a four-year effort,\u201d Flierl said. \u201cThe AI fluency effort is attempting to, by 2029, create students who are AI fluent in their field or discipline.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nFlierl said their work is already taking shape through campus-wide forums that bring together instructors, administrators and academic leaders.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201c[The goal] is to inspire the Buckeye community to take this as a challenge and shape the future of AI technologies in a way that is in alignment with our values, that further deepens learning that we are proud of,\u201d Flierl said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px|||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_line_height=”1.8em” custom_padding=”||0px|||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
To avoid overwhelming students, Flierl said rather than layering new requirements onto students, the goal is integration and combining AI into learning, not replacing it. He also said these requirements may vary depending on the major.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cAI fluency is about taking AI in a disciplinary context, it\u2019s going to look different in history than in health care or the social sciences,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\nThat flexibility, however, has translated into inconsistency for students, who say expectations around AI use often depend entirely on the instructor rather than a shared university standard.<\/span><\/p>\nBooker said assessment of the initiative will not begin immediately. He said evaluation will come after the first year of rollout, allowing colleges and departments time to determine how best to incorporate AI Fluency into majors and minors.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_testimonial quote_icon_color=”#7d0003″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” body_font=”Inter||||||||” body_font_size=”24.5px” background_color=”#7d0003″ background_layout=”dark” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we\u2019re ignorant of the fundamentals of what AI is and how it operates, we\u2019re not going to be able to effectively use it within our disciplines.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span><\/p>\nMichael Flierl | AI Faculty Fellow at the Office of Academic Affairs<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_testimonial][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_line_height=”1.8em” custom_padding=”||0px|||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
For the 2018 graduate Collins, the implementation of AI is stark.<\/span><\/p>\nHe said tools meant to assist students during undergrad such as Carmen or Microsoft Word preserved the cognitive work students put into assignments.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIt makes it physically easier to write, but I still have to write my own thing,\u201d Collins said. \u201cI\u2019m still very active in that process. It feels different than just developing a new skill. It feels like the usage of AI really takes away from the learning process itself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nTanya Berger-Wolf, a professor of computer science and engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and evolution, ecology and organismal biology, feels differently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nShe is the director of the Translational Data Analytics Institute, Ohio State\u2019s largest research institute and said AI must be integrated into life if students want to remain successful.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cAI is not going to take a job. People who know how to use AI will take your job,\u201d Berger-Wolf said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nShe said being fearful of the newly developing technology is normal, but understanding prevents misuse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cLike any complex tool, it can explode in your hands if you don\u2019t know how to use it,\u201d Berger-Wolf said.<\/span><\/p>\nLooking at the initiative, Flierl said there are 3 pillars the university hopes to reach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nFirst is foundational understanding: how AI systems actually work, including machine learning, neural networks and large language models. The goal is to strip away what he called the \u201cmagic box\u201d perception.<\/span><\/p>\nSecond is disciplinary application. Use of AI should shift depending on the field. A historian might analyze archival collections at scale, while a dentistry student could engage with clinical simulations.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s discipline first, AI second,\u201d Flierl said.<\/span><\/p>\nThird is consequence: ethical, environmental and societal impacts, including bias in training data, energy consumption, and reliance on automated systems in cognitive work.<\/span> <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”|auto|0px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2026\/04\/IMG_3511.jpeg” title_text=”IMG_3511″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2026\/04\/IMG_3525.jpeg” title_text=”IMG_3525″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Actor||||||||” text_text_color=”#727272″ text_font_size=”15px” custom_margin=”-14px||||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”-14px||||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”-14px||0px||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
\u00a0The AI Club hosted HackAI, an event where students hacked and applied artificial intelligence to their work on Feb. 21-22, 2026 in Fontana Laboratories at Ohio State.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_line_height=”1.8em” custom_padding=”||0px|||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\nBerger-Wolf said that interdisciplinary push reflects a broader shift at Ohio State, where AI is increasingly embedded in research spaces but experienced unevenly in the classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0To students, however, the rollout can look and feel different, leading many to navigate AI adoption on their own.<\/span><\/p>\nAnirudh Chinthagunta, a second-year in computer science and engineering and president of the AI Club on campus said he has not seen much of it in the classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIn CSE, AI is still strongly disapproved,\u201d he said, \u201cWe aren\u2019t allowed to use AI to create code, check errors or compile code.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nHe said he finds it interesting that his general education courses are where he is allowed to use AI.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIn terms of my GE courses or writing assignments, I have seen AI, specifically living learning models that we are allowed to use,\u201d Chinthagunta said.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s more of a use AI to create this paper and describe your thoughts,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\nSome students like Chinthagunta find the inconsistency of when students can and cannot use AI is the hardest part of the rollout.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cFinding a balance between utilizing it for efficiency without making it do all of the work is probably the best course of action,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\nUniversity efforts to combine AI into colleges has been on the rise.<\/span><\/p>\nThis spring semester <\/span>per prior Lantern reporting<\/span><\/a><\/span>, Arts and Humanities AI Institute opened at Ohio State is part of the College of Arts and Sciences\u2019 effort to extend the university\u2019s AI Fluency Initiative into humanities disciplines.<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_line_height=”1.8em” custom_padding=”||0px|||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
According to the college, the initiative is intended to integrate AI into humanities curricula while drawing on faculty expertise in both AI foundations and disciplinary practice. It also positions the arts and humanities as central to understanding how AI systems are developed and applied.<\/span><\/p>\nThe institute is expected to support coursework and research that examines how AI interacts with culture, including questions of ethics, bias, creativity and historical interpretation. It also aims to facilitate collaboration with external partners and expand internship opportunities tied to AI in arts and humanities fields.<\/span><\/p>\nTo help students develop stronger AI literacy, Sagar and Chinthagunta lead AI-focused organizations on campus that emphasize hands-on learning and technical understanding.<\/span><\/p>\nChinthagunta\u2019s AI Club hosts project-based learning sessions designed to help students understand the technical foundations of artificial intelligence. The organization also held HackAI in February, a 25-hour event aimed at encouraging STEM students to apply AI tools directly to real-world projects.<\/span><\/p>\nSagar, a product ambassador for Claude Builders, provides members with free access to Claude, an AI tool similar to ChatGPT that can assist with coding, writing and document analysis. The club focuses on giving students direct exposure to AI systems they are likely to encounter in academic and professional settings.<\/span><\/p>\nWhile these organizations expand student access and familiarity with AI tools, Collins said concerns remain around how the technology is regulated in academic settings, pointing to unclear boundaries in coursework expectations and potential misuse.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThe end goal of these LLMs isn\u2019t to be right or accurate, it\u2019s to satisfy what the user is asking for,\u201d Collins said. \u201cThe LLM is not thinking about anything you mention or thinking about proper citing and word count, or professor style.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nBut for some current students like Sagar, the larger concern isn\u2019t overuse, it\u2019s under-preparation and a need for better understanding.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThat\u2019s the way the world is moving forward,\u201d Sagar said. \u201cAnd we\u2019re not being prepared for it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Push for AI FluencyBy Xiyonne McCullough | Patricia B. Miller Special Projects Reporter Graphic by Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor In 2018, the most visible marker of technological innovation at Ohio State could be measured in the weight of a student\u2019s backpack. For then-undergraduate Christian Collins, that shift arrived through the Digital […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4452,"featured_media":11029,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"project_category":[],"project_tag":[],"coauthors":[792],"class_list":["post-11008","project","type-project","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/11008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/project"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4452"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11008"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/11008\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11047,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/11008\/revisions\/11047"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11029"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"project_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project_category?post=11008"},{"taxonomy":"project_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project_tag?post=11008"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=11008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}