In November 2022, Josh Hutchison, PhD, first encountered ChatGPT when a colleague sent him a fully AI-generated Seinfeld script. Fascinated by what he read, he quickly developed a keen interest in AI.
Dr. Hutchison joined Logan University in 2017 as the director of the Logan Writing Center, where he provides writing support to both students and faculty. He is also an active part of Logan’s AI Task Force. Established in January 2024 with stakeholders from across the university, this group meets monthly to discuss new challenges and opportunities AI presents for Logan.
“The Task Force’s goal is to increase AI literacy on campus,” Dr. Hutchison explained. “We want everyone to understand AI and how to use it. In two years, not using AI will be like not using the internet—it won’t be an option.”
Logan instructors have the flexibility to decide how to incorporate AI into their courses. Students are often encouraged to use AI for tasks like summarizing articles, organizing data and improving their workflows. However, Logan emphasizes that AI should never replace the human effort required for learning. Both Logan and Dr. Hutchison agree that students must obtain the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively treat their future patients and clients.
“You don’t get stronger by using a forklift,” Dr. Hutchison said. “If students rely too heavily on AI for training and learning, they won’t be prepared—and that could have serious consequences.”
In spring 2023, Logan established an AI policy prohibiting students from submitting AI-generated work as their own. More recently, they introduced an employee policy establishing guidelines for responsible AI use, making Microsoft’s Copilot the default AI tool, and ensuring all AI-generated content is vetted. For public-facing materials, supervisor approval is required to ensure quality and accuracy.
“The employee policy ensures that we maintain the same level of integrity we expect from our students,” Dr. Hutchison said. “AI can be incredibly helpful, but we have to use it responsibly.”
Dr. Hutchison offers guidance on appropriate ways for students to use AI. He and his colleagues have developed a graphic that illustrates the spectrum of AI use in academic honesty and integrity, ranking behaviors from writing an entire assignment with no AI at all on one end to inputting a prompt into AI and blindly copying the response on the other. The “sweet spot,” Dr. Hutchison says, “is in the middle, where the AI is a tool and an assistant, but never as a replacement.”
Logan is working to integrate AI into its curriculum with new classes starting in the summer of 2025. Dr. Hutchison plans to teach a new undergraduate course, AI in Healthcare, which will focus on how AI is shaping the future of healthcare and preparing students for a career in which AI will play a bigger role.
The AI Task Force is also helping to roll out AI training opportunities for Logan employees, walking them through best practices for using AI.
“AI is going to be a big part of healthcare in the future,” Dr. Hutchison said. “You’ll either ride the wave or be swept away—but here at Logan we plan to ride the wave.”