Wright State faculty featured in WDTN story on how AI is used in education

Wright State University faculty members discussed how artificial intelligence can be a valuable tool in education — while emphasizing that it cannot replace the human element — in a story produced by WDTN 2 News.

Valerie Shallin, Ph.D., professor of psychology, highlighted the importance of teaching students how to use artificial intelligence effectively, ensuring it serves as an aid rather than a crutch.

“They have an essay assignment and don’t even know where to start?” Shallin said. “You can use AI to get started. Ask it for a prompt: ‘Tell me what to write for my history class.’ ‘Well, here is a suggestion! How about this?’“

Wright State is not only educating students on how to utilize AI but also preparing them for the challenges they may face when pursuing careers.

Nichol Simmons, director of Wright State’s Tom Hanks Center for Motion Pictures, said students are learning how advancements in AI could impact their futures as filmmakers.

“I think we are going to see the most people lose their jobs quite honestly in visual effects as the technology emerges,” Simmons said.

She said it is important that students master skills that AI cannot replicate.

“The answer always has to come back to storytelling,” said Simmons. “And our human stories are what make people engaged in watching movies and TV shows, videos of any kind, even YouTube videos, where people invest is on that emotional level. AI cannot replicate the emotion of being human.”

Read the full story, “Educators: AI should be a tool in the classroom, not a crutch,” at Yahoo News.