Artificial Intelligence is creating large debates in Kansas City communities and on the UMKC campus

  Artificial Intelligence is sparking debates in Kansas City communities and on campus.

  The classrooms of UMKC are no strangers to the technology’s impact either. Some students and teachers alike are concerned about its ethicality, while others invite it.

  Dr. Jesse Lowe, an assistant teaching professor of computer science at UMKC fears that it’s the former. 

“Students may begin to lose their ability to to think independently about the facts you learn yourself,” said Lowe. Access to fast and easy information can entice students to opt for an easy way out when completing their assignments. Growing concerns among professors and students bring questions of ethics when using AI in classrooms.

 “Computers mostly understand how to replicate patterns based on what humans have already done,” said Lowe. This can lead to the issue of plagiarism when students work with such heavy reliance on AI as a writing tool.

  However, with its prevalence in businesses, Lowe does not want his students to be ill-prepared for their future careers. 

  Lowe believes that the technological trend of AI will continue to hold outside of college scenes and into students’ future workplaces regardless. He encourages his students to utilize programs, such as ChatGPT, as a tool rather than solely relying on it.

  Kylie Lewis, a freshman who is double majoring in criminal justice and psychology with a minor in education, shared her own thoughts on the matter. 

  “I find that it’s very bad for the planet. It’s currently taking over a lot of jobs, as well as changing the way people learn. It can be a good tool if used correctly, but it’s not the ‘end all be all,’ said Lewis.

  She recalls that a few of her professors aim for students to use it as a tool. Yet, the question remains whether professors should be using AI at all. 

  “I don’t believe it’s an awful thing since I feel they’re trying to adapt to how learning is now and they’re trying to find ways to make learning easier for students, but I don’t think ChatGPT is a good resource,” said Lewis. 

  She continued with how students should still work independently from AI and do their own research, writing and note-taking. 

“There’s no point in putting the money in for school if you can’t put in the work,” said Lewis.

  Lewis also explained that in the past she has used generative AI for study guide material, but has since refrained after learning more about its harmful environmental factors.

 As reported from KCTV5, Meta developed a $1 billion data center in the Northland area of Kansas City, Missouri. Its data center will support services such as Meta AI.

  The potential impact of this database and future ones can create environmental issues. KCTV5 states, “Data centers have been a point of controversy due to the amount of energy and water required to keep them operational.”

  An article from CNBC explained that Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act ends two key tax credits for solar and wind projects in late 2027, meaning higher utility bills and potentially doubling the money of megawatts per hour.

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