AI Tug-of-War: Professors Say No, Employers Say Go

In the age of artificial intelligence, students are being pulled in two opposing directions.

Inside the classroom, they’re told to tread lightly with tools like ChatGPT. But outside the classroom, particularly in internships and the professional world, they’re expected to utilize those same tools for productivity, efficiency, and innovation.

This conflicting message has created a unique challenge for today’s students: learning when and how to responsibly use AI while navigating two sets of expectations.

Across college campuses, many professors maintain strict guidelines about AI usage, often banning it for assignments, essays, or exams. These rules are typically rooted in concerns over academic integrity, critical thinking, and skill development.

Students should learn how to think critically, not just how to prompt. There’s a fear that overreliance on AI tools could stunt intellectual growth or blur critical thinking.

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On the other hand, in industries like marketing, tech, communications, or even finance, the script flips. Employers expect interns and entry-level employees to be proficient with generative AI tools to streamline workflows, enhance content production, and conduct quick research.

Knowing how to craft effective prompts is quickly becoming as essential as basic digital literacy. So how is AI beneficial to students in public relations?

One of its key roles is in media monitoring. AI can scan thousands of sources across news outlets, blogs, and social media in real time to detect brand mentions and analyze tone. This helps PR teams stay informed, track campaign performance, and respond to crises faster.

AI also supports content creation by editing and generating outlines of press releases, emails, and social media posts. This streamlines workflows and allows teams to focus on refining messaging and strategy.

Another major benefit is AI’s ability to personalize communication. By analyzing audience data, AI helps tailor pitches and messaging to increase engagement and improve media pickup.

Press releases are often included in the data used to train large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. This means well-written releases not only inform people but also help shape smarter, more reliable AI tools. PR professionals aren’t just using AI—they’re helping build it.

This contradiction leaves students caught in a balancing act. They’re expected to avoid AI to maintain academic credibility, yet master it to remain competitive in the job market.

It’s no surprise that many feel confused about when it's acceptable to use AI—and how to use it ethically.

“As a communications student looking to work within the tech industry, it’s frustrating to see such misalignment between students and working professionals,” said Newsmatics intern Lilibet Kirwan. “At conferences, I hear about a desire to implement it for almost everything. Meanwhile, those same executives offer no real initiative to collaborating with intersectional perspectives within programming, thus perpetuating the systemic bias that AI already has.”

Universities and employers alike must come together to redefine what AI literacy looks like across the full spectrum of education and employment.

Rather than banning AI, schools could benefit from teaching students how to use it critically and transparently, distinguishing between tasks where AI enhances learning and tasks where it detracts from it.

Some universities have started implementing AI guidelines into their brand kit. The University of Kentucky and Clemson University are just a few universities who have begun this routine.

In many ways, this moment mirrors past technological shifts. Just as calculators once disrupted math education or Google redefined research, AI is the new frontier. The key lies in adapting—not avoiding.

For now, students are learning to navigate this grey area on their own. But one thing is clear: as AI continues to shape the future of work, it must also reshape the way we think about learning.