AI as Second Language (AISL): Ohio State requires AI fluency for all students by 2029

Ohio State University has announced that every student will be required to use artificial intelligence in their coursework starting this fall, making it the first public university in Ohio to officially integrate AI fluency across all majors. The AI Fluency Initiative aims to make graduates “bilingual” in their field of study and AI applications, with the university committing that all graduates from 2029 onward will be fluent in AI within their discipline.

What you should know: The program will embed AI education throughout the undergraduate curriculum, prioritizing incoming freshmen while working with existing courses and frameworks.

• Students will be required to take AI skills seminars, with workshops integrated into programs like the First Year Seminar.
• The university will offer new general education courses and work with colleges to expand AI-focused offerings.
• At least six university offices will facilitate the program and provide guidance on maintaining academic integrity while using AI as a tool.

Why this matters: The initiative responds to rapidly growing student AI usage, with 26% of teenagers using ChatGPT for schoolwork in 2024—double the rate from 2023.

• “Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we live, work, teach and learn. In the not-so-distant future, every job, in every industry, is going to be impacted in some way by AI,” Ohio State President Ted Carter said.
• While all 14 of Ohio’s public universities have incorporated AI in some capacity, OSU is the first to officially require AI fluency across every major.

How it works: The program emphasizes using AI as a learning tool rather than allowing students to pass off AI-generated work as their own.

• Education majors might use AI to create lesson plans, then evaluate and revise them while submitting their original prompt and reflection on the AI’s effectiveness.
• Faculty will receive clear guidelines on maintaining academic integrity while incorporating AI into assignments.
• The Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning will expand resources and offer grants to help instructors integrate AI into their courses.

What they’re saying: Faculty who have already implemented AI report mixed but promising results from students.

• “A student walked up to me after turning in the first batch of AI-assisted papers and thanked me for such a fun assignment. And then when I graded them and found a lot of really creative ideas,” said Steven Brown, an associate professor of philosophy. “My favorite one is still a paper on karma and the practice of returning shopping carts.”
• Subbu Kumarappan, an associate professor of economics, noted student hesitation: “High-performing students tend to use AI to take their work even further, while those struggling may fall behind if they don’t fully engage.”

The big picture: Brown argues that banning AI would be counterproductive, emphasizing the need for educational adaptation.

• “It would be a disaster for our students to have no idea how to effectively use one of the most powerful tools that humanity has ever created,” Brown said.
• “AI is such a powerful tool for self-education, that we must rapidly adapt our pedagogy or be left in the dust.”