AI: Friend or Faux? Saint Michael’s College prepares students for critical engagement with emerging tech

At Saint Michael’s College, artificial intelligence is not just a technical tool — it’s a subject of inquiry, a partner in learning, and a catalyst for ethical reflection.

The College embeds AI across disciplines in ways that honor its liberal arts tradition: fostering critical thinking, creativity, and responsible citizenship.

“Students graduate knowing when, where, why, and how to use AI in their work,” said Gretchen Galbraith, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “We also want them to be able to think critically on whether AI is being used appropriately or not.”

Photo illustration of Saint Michael’s College campus by Abbey Gyurko ’27.

The breadth of AI integration across Saint Michael’s curriculum reflects a distinctive institutional culture where faculty autonomy drives innovation. Biology classes, for instance, are exploring how to deploy AI in field research. Faculty members also devoted an entire professional development day, dubbed “Pedagogy Day,” to topics around AI.

Galbraith said faculty are deeply curious and engaging in AI use in an organic way. This leads to curriculum augmentation, depth of inquiry, and proficiency with the tools, which extends to the students.

“This reflects the best of St. Mike’s,” she said. “It’s why St. Mike’s is special.”

Explore four examples of how Saint Michael’s College has integrated AI into its curriculum. This is only a sampling of the myriad ways students are learning about and exploring applications of AI. 

• FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR: St. Mike’s first-year students start reflecting on AI in their first semesters.
• BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION & ACCOUNTING: AI as a teaching partner.
• EDUCATION: Training future teachers to be critical consumers of AI.
• PHILOSOPHY & ETHICS: Testing AI and training ethical thinkers.

Several alumni are also using AI in their careers. Explore the links below for their stories. 

• PAMELA CARROLL ’85: Using AI in Biotechnology to tackle formerly ‘undruggable’ diseases.
• MARY FALCIGNO ’15: Using AI in the Army’s Drone Program.

This story was published as part of the Spring/Summer 2026 edition of The Saint Michael’s College Magazine.