---
title: "Colleges grapple with AI use in the STEM classroom amid uncertain impacts"
description: "College STEM educators are testing generative AI as a learning aid while trying to limit possible harm to students' critical thinking, with long-term effects still unclear."
kind: "wire"
section: "Society"
author: "Josh Alley"
author_url: "https://hastalavista.ai/authors/alley"
published: "2026-10-06T19:27:10.836Z"
updated: "2026-10-06T19:27:10.836Z"
canonical: "https://hastalavista.ai/society/colleges-grapple-with-ai-use-in-the-stem-classroom-amid-uncertain-impacts"
source_url: "https://cen.acs.org/education/undergraduate-education/generative-AI-STEM-education-impacts/104/web/2026/10"
source_name: "Chemical & Engineering News"
---

# Colleges grapple with AI use in the STEM classroom amid uncertain impacts

*College STEM educators are testing generative AI as a learning aid while trying to limit possible harm to students' critical thinking, with long-term effects still unclear.*

By [Josh Alley](https://hastalavista.ai/authors/alley) · October 6, 2026

Source: [Colleges grapple with AI use in the STEM classroom amid uncertain impacts](https://cen.acs.org/education/undergraduate-education/generative-AI-STEM-education-impacts/104/web/2026/10) — Chemical & Engineering News

## Human take

*These are the author’s thoughts, made without AI and typed directly into our publishing software without assistance.*

AI is an amazing learning tool. It also just gives you the answer, and humans are wired to take paths of least resistance. At scale in practice, humans will simply turn off the brain and use the tool. Over time, do we get smarter?