Why arguing with AI helps businessstudents to understand it

Universities respond to generative AI by either banning it or permitting it with disclaimers about responsible use, neither of which treats AI as a pedagogical rather than an integrity issue.
Critical thinking and ability to evaluate AI outputs are essential workplace skills, requiring students to critique AI’s reasoning and take responsibility for their decisions.
To develop these skills, students need assessments that require them to publicly defend their positions and engage adversarially with AI.
Design principles for developing AI evaluation skills include creating stakes in the question through public intellectual commitments, employing an adversarial approach where AI generates counterarguments, and emphasizing reflection on judgement.
Three key capabilities developed through adversarial AI engagement include evidence-based argumentation, metacognitive self-assessment, and calibrated judgment about AI.
Universities that focus assessment on developing critical thinking rather than mere fluency will graduate students who can trust AI when appropriate and retain independent reasoning.