Across CUNY, faculty are testing new ways to implement generative artificial intelligence into the classroom, where students can critically engage with the technology.
The New York Jobs CEO Council partnered with CUNY to support the ongoing effort after identifying AI literacy as a critical skill in today’s society. Through this initiative, faculty will have the opportunity to use generative AI in the classroom while teaching students how to use it ethically and effectively.
At Hunter College, Professor Sissel McCarthy, head of the journalism department, secured the grant for the campus and is applying it in her Media 211 course, News Literacy in a Digital Age. The writing-intensive course teaches students to evaluate the credibility and reliability of news reports while also developing their analytical writing skills.
McCarthy is developing a customized AI writing assistant called Linguo, trained only on course materials. Linguo, she said, acts as a writing coach, not an editor. It will provide feedback on structure, clarity, and argument without rewriting students’ work. Media 211 consists of three essays, and McCarthy says students will have the opportunity to use Linguo on their last essay to strengthen their piece. Unlike tools such as Grammarly, Linguo focuses on deeper writing issues rather than surface-level corrections.
CUNY faculty will design courses throughout the summer, test them in the classroom throughout the fall, and hopefully expand their models by spring 2027.
Students interested in learning more about generative AI should join Media 211, News Literacy in a Digital Age, and secure their spot before registration closes.
