AI At HBCUS: What Could the Future Hold?

Artificial intelligence is no longer just a trend. It’s a very real force that is taking over industries, our education systems, and our overall way of life. With AI becoming more advanced by the day, our HBCUs are exploring opportunities to implement the technology in courses, classrooms, and university activations. But with these changes comes concern: What if incorporating AI hinders students from actually understanding and retaining information? Will it actually give students the advantage in the long run? Before you form your own opinion, it’s important to understand what AI initiatives are already being implemented in our HBCUs.

AI Courses & Curriculum

Let’s not pretend that most students don’t still use ChatGPT or other AI platforms to assist with homework, write essays, or understand their curriculum more in-depth. The overreliance on AI to give consistent information can be considered cheating and an enablement to students’ learning. With this opinion becoming more popular, many HBCUs have already implemented courses on artificial intelligence into their curriculum. Morehouse, Spelman, Howard, and Bowie State are only a few schools that have taken the step to normalize AI education.

North Carolina A&T is making history as the first school in North Carolina to offer an undergraduate degree in artificial intelligence. The new curriculum will offer two concentrations—Advanced AI Systems within the College of Engineering and Applied AI within the College of Science and Technology. With these courses, the schools share common goals: bridging the exclusion gap of Black innovators in tech, making sure students are ahead of the learning curve, and increasing AI literacy overall.

AI in the Classroom

For some students, it’s easier to retain information if classes are in person. Learning face-to-face with a professor that’s present to answer questions is your typical classroom setting. But imagine if you need help on an assignment and can’t get in contact with your professor. Most students immediately run to Google, but what if there were an option to get answers from your teacher’s assistant at any time?

Last fall, Morehouse College incorporated AI teaching assistants in their classrooms. Partnering with tech company VictoryXR, the professors created their own virtual 3D avatars that use OpenAI to drive conversations with students. The AI assistants provide around-the-clock support to students, assisting with assignments and helping them grasp complex concepts even when professors are not available.

While this might be a cool addition, it’s important to remember that students may lose the opportunity to serve as teacher’s assistants. For the professors, multiple HBCUs have implemented a special chatbox called ALTA. ALTA can generate initial drafts of courses, syllabi, and lesson plans, which can then be refined by faculty and instructional designers.

AI Partnerships

Despite ongoing opinions, many HBCUs are partnering with major companies to advance AI education and development in their environments. Howard University recently partnered with Google Research to help AI systems understand African American English (AAE). Back in April, North Carolina Central joined forces with OpenAI to provide students with workshops to enhance their knowledge of AI. This initiative was launched through the school’s new Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Research (IAIER), which is set to be completed by the end of this year.

In addition, tech giant IBM partnered with Clark Atlanta to provide professors with the skills to incorporate AI into their curriculum. For students, IBM will be offering mini-internships and projects to give students a more interactive approach to understanding AI and data.

Not all HBCUs have the resources to be successful in tech development. While AI continues to evolve, the desire for funding, opportunities, and partnerships continues to rise as institutions want to stay ahead of the game.

Keeping all of this in mind, the looming question remains: Will AI end up helping or hurting students in the long run? Only time will tell.