Russian Experts Endorse AI in Universities, Despite Controversy

While some officials urge restrictions on student use of neural networks, academics argue that AI boosts efficiency and should be embraced—with oversight.

Russian experts are backing the use of artificial intelligence in higher education, despite calls from some officials to limit its role. Valery Fadeev, head of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, recently suggested banning college students from using AI to write term papers.

Fadeev argued that AI-generated texts are now indistinguishable from human-written ones and often draw from foreign sources rather than Russian material. He proposed restricting AI use to basic internet searches.

However, faculty members at top Russian universities disagree. According to TASS, educators believe neural networks save students time by streamlining information gathering and grammar checks. Still, they acknowledge the need for regulation.

Alexey Tishchenko, senior researcher at the Presidential Academy, suggested that students be required to clearly indicate which parts of their work were produced with AI assistance.

As debate continues, the consensus seems to be that AI should be viewed as a tool—not a shortcut.