Technology can’t replace some things: Why UP Law bans AI from freshman classes

UP College of Law website The UP College of Law notes 'a considerable decline in the quality of reasoning and argumentation coinciding with the regular use of AI by students for case briefing, answering simple queries during class, and research' MANILA, Philippines – Citing developments by other law colleges abroad — such as in the University of Chicago and UC Berkeley — regarding artificial intelligence use, the University of the Philippines College of Law said it would be curbing the use of electronic devices and AI across its core classes after seeing the effects of regular AI use by students. In a post last Tuesday, August 4, titled “Philippine Legal Education in the Time of Artificial Intelligence I: Recommitting to the Fundamentals of Legal Analysis,” the UP College of Law said it “noted a considerable decline in the quality of reasoning and argumentation coinciding with the regular use of AI by students for case briefing, answering simple queries during class, and research.” The college added that employers have made similar observations and provided the same kind of feedback — “that many of our students have not just become AI-literate but AI-dependent.” Here’s what they’ll be doing for the first-year level of the Juris Doctor program for the academic year 2026 to 2027. Core classes offline and onsite, no gadgets or AI The UP College of Law will take the following steps in its bid to stimulate its students into adopting critical thinking methods rather than relying on AI for answers. These include offline, onsite instruction for core subjects; a prohibition against the use of digital or electronic devices, including for purposes like note-taking unless required for class activities like presentations or in exigent circumstances; the administration of offline, onsite major assessments like final examinations. There will also be a ban on generative AI use for research and writing assignments — “from conceptualization to writing and finalization, including editing and grammar checks” as well as using research or law databases that rely on AI. That said, the faculty will also be listing specific databases to be introduced in these courses. Further, formal disciplinary action will be placed on students possessing digital or electronic devices during onsite courses for assessments during core subjects. Molding students into critical thinkers The UP College of Law reasoned that the ban on gadgets and AI use is meant to help develop students with better critical thinking skills, even in “a profession where AI is increasingly used.” The college said it must “train students to master skills that the technology cannot replace: deriving legal arguments from language and social context, finding or creating law in or from its interstices, and transposing these to actual cases and situations in the persuasive, ethical, and humane manner that underlies the law’s legitimacy.” The college, in seeking to mold students who can navigate legal language conflicts, said it hopes to train leaders who can accept criticism while having a healthy sense of distrust. “Whereas the task-oriented logic of generative AI presents immediate responses for any prompt, we envision students who can be comfortable in uncertainty and patient with the arduousness and rigors of serious inquiry,” the college added. – Rappler.com How does this make you feel? Loading