- Online
- $0
This free Zoom lecture is for parents, guardians and mentors helping teens prepare for university.
Understand the risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI) in academic life so that you can help your teen plan ahead for smart, responsible use of AI that enhances, not replaces, their learning.
The overwhelming majority of university students—first-years included—already use artificial intelligence (AI) in their studies. AI tempts with speed, polish and easy grades—but the real story is more complex.
Used carelessly, AI can quietly erode the very skills students need for academic and professional success: critical thinking, creativity, self-expression, and the ability to wrestle with challenging ideas. Over-reliance can also put students’ academic integrity at risk.
Many students come to see AI as a friendly study companion that makes coursework easier, as they breeze through assignments and essays. But it can leave their educational experience hollow and stressful. Increasingly, educators encounter students who lean on AI tools even while worrying that they’re no longer learning deeply.
You can help
When you understand the risks and opportunities of AI in academic life, you’ll be ready to support your high schoolers as they make decisions with lasting impact on their intellectual development and the value they receive from their education.
The lecture covers:
- Essential rules for AI and academic integrity
- The importance and limitations of university-wide AI frameworks
- Professors’ perspectives on AI and the impact on assignments and grading
- How to prompt AI to avoid harmful shortcuts
- Delegating to AI so students can prioritise tasks that lead to higher grades and deep learning
- Whether students can stay competitive without using AI A template for committing to winning AI strategies
Bring your questions and join this engaging, practical session to learn how to guide your teen toward confident, ethical AI use—before the pace of university life takes over.
Did you know?
AI is integral to one of seven new priorities in UBC’s Strategic Directions 2025-2030: “Advance the creation and responsible use of emerging technologies, particularly AI, for research, teaching, student learning and operations.”
In early October 2025, Canadian consultancy KPMG reported that 73% of Canadian students (high school and post-secondary) “rely on generative artificial intelligence (AI) for their schoolwork.” And nearly half (48%) of those students say “their critical thinking skills have deteriorated” as a result. Source: KPMG, “Generative AI Boom Among Canadian Students Raises Dilemmas,” Oct. 9, 2025.
Please note: Registration is required. We will send you instructions to join the online lecture one business day prior to the lecture date. Can’t make the scheduled time? We will send a link to the lecture recording to everyone who registers.