'Double-edged sword': Montana campuses prepare for AI-driven future

GLENDIVE — The growing role of artificial intelligence in higher education is forcing colleges to adapt, and Montana campuses are preparing to take a major step with a new AI tool launching as early as May.

When Dawson Community College President Chad Knudson attended the March Board of Regents Meeting in Dillon over spring break, a separate meeting held in conjunction with the Regents was part of Montana University System’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force one of the key topics was ChatMT.AI.

Knudson stated that ChatMT will be an AI tool rolled out to the Montana University System statewide as a suite of resources focused on streamlining administrative processes.

For example, the tool can handle the simple yet time-consuming task of reading a 300-page document and writing a summary, something Interim Director of Academic Affairs and Accreditation Liaison Officer BreAnn Miller said could take multiple hours to complete but only five minutes with the AI tool.

Knudson noted that the phrase “rock in a shoe” kept coming up during the Board of Regents meeting, referring to the repetitive and tedious parts of an administrator’s work week that can now be automated. The addition of ChatMT will free up administrative staff from time-consuming mundane duties to interact with students, answer emails and be more visible and accessible when needed, he added.

Miller acknowledged that there were concerns expressed at the meeting in Dillon about the AI potentially taking someone’s job, but she emphasized the need for human oversight. “There still has to be personal aspects of everything,” she said.

Knudson also noted that students have to be taught to use AI appropriately.

“The students will be required to use AI in their professional life, but you also have to teach them the appropriate ethical use and not use it as a tool to cheat,” he said.

The challenge for higher education is finding the right balance between these two priorities and that time has arrived. Beginning this coming year, every instructor at DCC will have an AI use policy that clearly defines what is acceptable and unacceptable for their class.

Knudson doesn’t anticipate any positions being eliminated as a result of the , but he does expect roles to continually evolve. While he acknowledges there will be growing pains, he believes the advantages will be worth it.

“It will allow administration to operate at a higher level,” he said.

“It’s an interesting new technology in the fact that it’s a double-edged sword,” Knudson stated when asked about AI’s implementation at DCC. He explained that while some people see it as a tool for cheating or laziness, others fully embrace its potential.

As safety is always a concern with AI, multiple measures are being taken to protect data.