Alfonso Berumen Calls on Higher Ed to Embrace AI Responsibly in Los Angeles Business Journal

Alfonso Berumen, practitioner of decision sciences at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, authored an op-ed in the Los Angeles Business Journal urging higher education to adapt thoughtfully to the rise of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI).

In his piece, Berumen highlights the profound impact tools like ChatGPT have had on classrooms, job markets, and the role of professors as traditional gatekeepers of expertise. While acknowledging the risks of overreliance on AI, such as surface-level learning, diminished problem-solving skills, and “copy-and-paste” syndrome, he stresses that avoiding AI altogether is unrealistic in an AI-driven world.

Instead, Berumen calls for universities to evolve alongside technology, embedding AI literacy and critical thinking into coursework. This includes teaching prompt engineering, exploring how large language models function, and helping students understand AI’s limitations.

“Humans remain the ultimate decision-makers,” Berumen writes. “GenAI should be treated as a collaborator, not a substitute for deeper learning.”

Read the full op-ed here.