The end of a school year always feels to me like the downhill part of a rollercoaster, where everyone on the coaster is hoping that it will stay on the tracks. You’re pretty sure it will, but every year the coaster seems to get faster and scarier. That’s how I’m feeling about the rate of technology-related changes that all of us are dealing with. As we head into summer, I want to share three reflections on how we can navigate this speed with intention.
Security
How can we better protect our data? Kendall George and I shared some context and suggestions in the May Quarterly Meeting. Most importantly, encourage your skeptic alarm bells to go off if you get emails that are trying to rush you or convey a sense of urgency. Attackers try to appeal to our emotions and to reach us when we’re distracted. Secondly, summer is a good time to make sure that your personal technologies (phone, laptop, browsers, and home router) are patched. AI is accelerating the effectiveness and volume of attacks against technology vulnerabilities and patching is our best protection. Say “Yes” when your work computer prompts you to patch, and pay attention to updates for your personal technology as well.
Environment
How can I reduce technology’s impact on the environment? The environmental impact of AI, including the associated expansion of data centers, is getting a lot of important attention, and I would encourage two actions. First, we can use our voices to demand more regulation, joining the advocacy efforts of groups like Citizens Climate Lobby or Minnesota Interface Power and Light. Second, we can be more intentional about our personal and institutional use of generative AI as well as what we stream and store. Our Educational Associate for AI, Kieran Barker ‘25, has created this comprehensive summary of the situation and environmentally-aware suggestions. An ITS student worker, Kritika Pandit ‘26, created this companion flyer.
AI
Can I just wait for the AI bubble to burst? AI is the fastest rollercoaster I have witnessed in my life. It has already interfered with long-standing approaches to learning, and we can’t predict when or how the coaster will change or slow down. As I’ve engaged with GenAI over the past three years, I have found ways that Gemini and NotebookLM add utility to my work, and I use them selectively. I have also noticed the numerous opportunities I have had for talking with Carleton faculty, staff, students, and alumni about how responding to AI has influenced their work. Exploring the role of AI in our lives will continue to provide unique opportunities for insight into each other’s thought processes and professional goals and ways to double down on what matters most.
AI has not been an easy journey, nor was it one we sought. By being in higher education at this time in our country’s history, it has been thrust upon us. We are collectively rising to the challenge with integrity and thoughtfulness. There is nowhere I would rather be having these conversations than at Carleton College. Please reach out if you’d like to talk more about any of these topics.
–Janet
AI usage disclosure: After writing a complete draft of this article, I asked Gemini Flash 3.5 for feedback for a higher ed audience. The response resulted in me changing parts of three sentences and using one AI-created sentence in its entirety.