UIN Professor Warns Universities Must Not Be Outpaced by AI

Bandung – Professor Achmad Tjahja Nugraha, a senior academic at Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Bandung, warned that campuses must not be outpaced by artificial intelligence (AI). He said the primary role of campuses is as centres for character development, ethics, morality, and integrity among the younger generation.

Universities must continue to be centres for character and ethics development. For artificial intelligence can help humans think faster, but cannot replace morality, integrity, and conscience, he said in a statement received on Friday, 15 May 2026.

He noted that campuses are not merely spaces for transferring knowledge but also institutions that shape human values and social responsibility.

Achmad Tjahja said the rapid development of AI represents a major test for higher education in preserving identity, depth of quality, and academic authority.

He acknowledged that AI brings many benefits to education, from accelerating access to information to improving learning efficiency.

However, he warned of serious challenges related to academic honesty, originality of scholarly works, and a decline in critical thinking due to dependence on technology.

He noted that campuses face new challenges related to plagiarism, the validity of scholarly works, and changes in students’ learning patterns.

The professor said the primary solution is not to ban AI use but to cultivate a healthy, adaptive academic culture built on integrity.

“Higher education must not be outpaced by technology. Campuses should lead the direction of change by instilling ethical use of AI, building academic responsibility, and strengthening students’ character,” he said.

He also assessed that conventional higher education models which are overly oriented toward rote memorisation and administration are gradually losing relevance in the digital era.

Going forward, universities must focus more on developing analytical abilities, creativity, leadership, social empathy, and the ability to solve real-world societal problems.

“Artificial Intelligence can assist the learning process, but campuses still have the primary duty of shaping people who are ethical, have integrity, and are responsible for civilisation,” he said.