- IITs call for a unified AI transparency framework to ensure academic integrity.
- Global sinologists embrace AI to decode Chinese history and preserve culture.
- AI is reshaping how students learn and how scholars engage with the humanities.
In India, IIT Delhi‘s recent guidelines on AI use in academic work have sparked nationwide calls for a uniform framework across all IITs. With over 80% of students and 77% of faculty already using AI tools, concerns about originality, data privacy, and accountability are rising.
Meanwhile, at the 2025 World Conference on Sinology in Shenzhen, sinologists from around the world discussed how AI is unlocking new possibilities in Chinese studies.
From IITs to the Silk Road: How AI Is Reshaping Knowledge and Ethics
The rapid integration of generative AI in academic spaces has posed new ethical challenges for India’s top engineering institutes. IIT Delhi’s proactive step of releasing AI usage guidelines aims to bring clarity, requiring students to disclose AI-assisted work and uphold data privacy. Other IITs are echoing the call for a common framework to avoid fragmented standards and protect research integrity.
AI’s unchecked use in student work is raising concerns about over-dependence and reduced critical thinking. Faculty at IIT Kanpur and IIT Guwahati warn that generative AI, if unregulated, may dilute originality and promote superficial academic output. They emphasize the importance of distinguishing between using AI as a learning aid and using it as a substitute for genuine intellectual engagement.
In contrast, the global Sinology community is exploring AI as a tool to deepen, not diminish, scholarly insight. At the Shenzhen conference, sinologists witnessed how Chinese institutions are using AI to digitize ancient manuscripts, recreate historical artifacts, and train younger generations through immersive cultural technologies. The blend of cultural focus and technical power is reshaping humanities research.
Sinologists like Helwig Schmidt-Glintzer and Giray Fidan highlight that AI in Chinese studies carries a distinctly human-centered design. Rather than displacing researchers, AI augments their ability to handle vast textual data, enriching cross-cultural understanding. This approach exemplifies how ethical integration of AI can elevate knowledge rather than compromise it.
Whether in Indian classrooms or Chinese heritage sites, AI’s role in shaping the future of knowledge lies in how wisely it is governed — not just in how powerfully it performs.
“Technology is a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.”
— Bill Gates
