Artificial intelligence is changing the workplace, but at BYU-Idaho, students are learning that their greatest advantage isn’t AI. It’s knowing how to use it well.
As employers increasingly integrate artificial intelligence into the workplace, BYU-Idaho’s Computer Science and Engineering Department is helping students build strong technical foundations while learning to use AI as a powerful tool rather than a replacement for human skill.
To better understand how AI is reshaping the technology industry, department chair of the Department of Computer Science Engineering Nathan Jack and his faculty reached out to employers ranging from Apple, Google, Honeywell, Intel, and government contractors, to smaller start-up companies. Despite their differences, the message was remarkably consistent: Human talent remains essential.
Employers also emphasized that graduates should know how to use AI effectively.
“They want you to know how to use AI,” Jack said. “The phrase they've told me is, ‘AI is a magnifier.’ If you know code, AI will amplify what you can do. If you're not good at coding and you use AI, it can amplify your weaknesses and make bigger problems.”
That philosophy shapes how students learn at BYU-Idaho. Before AI becomes part of the classroom, students learn how to use code on their own. Teachers and faculty in the Computer Science and Engineering Department educate their students in learning code and other necessary technical skills. For the first two semesters and other beginning courses, all foundational work is done by the students.
“We can never let AI rob us of learning,” Jack said. “One way we address that with our in-person classes is we'll do paper handouts where we say, 'Here's some code, tell me what it does.’ You have to do it with a pencil in class. It's not hard, we're not trying to trick you or catch you. This is just what you're going to be asked in a job interview.”
Once students are proficient in foundational skills, AI is then integrated into the curriculum. AI has the ability to speedily create and test code, but it still needs human observation and leadership. Students are expected to use AI in their projects and complete incredible work in a few weeks in what otherwise would take an entire semester.
BYU-Idaho has responded to the growing role of AI by adding new courses and other areas of study, such as an AI engineering minor. The minor gives technical background into how AI systems work, how they can be trained, and how they are created. The university is also developing a new information systems degree that blends business, technology, and AI. These efforts are part of a broader university initiative to help academic programs thoughtfully integrate artificial intelligence while preparing students for the modern workforce.
That university-wide effort also includes a program AI readiness rubric, which helps academic programs evaluate how they prepare students with AI fluence, align curriculum with industry needs, and strengthen student learning.
“We're trying to make sure our programs are relevant,” Jack said, “and that we're offering what businesses need today and the things we teach are what the students need to know.”
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the workplace, it is important for students to remember that their valuable contributions are still necessary in that workplace, as long as they also know how to properly use it. AI is a revolutionary tool that is rapidly changing both how we learn and how we work, but AI is just that: a tool.
“The human is still needed,” Jack emphasized. “Embrace AI and learn how to use it.”