This survey is being conducted by NMU's recently formed AI Literacy Workgroup and its NMU Staff AI Literacy Program. It is still open for submissions at https://nmu.edu/mc/nmu-ai-literacy-group-staff-survey. Here we summarize all responses received so far. Thank you to the nearly 200 respondents to date!

Initiated by NMU's Academic Affairs in September of 2023, and following a campus-wide request for participation, an AI Work Group of 12 volunteers was formed, with the mission to 

... track and share the evolution of generative AI, suggest updates to our academic integrity policy, support faculty in ways to incorporate AI into the curriculum, and coordinate AI literacy programs for the campus community ...

With the beginning of the Winter Semester 2024, a sub-group dedicated to NMU's staff was tasked with developing instructional materials and workshops to facilitate addressing AI-related information needs and concerns across the entire NMU staff membership. This survey and a forthcoming workshop are our first steps towards fulfilling our part of the AI Work Group's mission.

1: 'None or very little understanding', 2: 'Some understanding', 3: 'Moderate understanding', 4: 'Good understanding', 5: 'Very good understanding'

1: 'Not at all used', 2: 'Slightly used or dabbled with', 3: 'Occasionally used', 4: 'Regularly used', 5: 'Use(d) most every day'

1: 'Not aware at all', 2: 'Slightly aware', 3: 'Moderately aware', 4: 'Very aware', 5: 'Extremely aware'

1: 'Not likely at all', 2: 'Slightly likely', 3: 'Moderately likely', 4: 'Very likely', 5: 'Extremely likely'

1: 'Not interested at all', 2: 'Slightly interested', 3: 'Moderately interested', 4: 'Very interested', 5: 'Extremely interested'

1: 'Not helpful at all', 2: 'Slightly helpful', 3: 'Moderately helpful', 4: 'Very helpful', 5: 'Extremely helpful'

 

Comments, questions

AI will take all our jobs
Thank you for creating this survey!
As long as training provides alternative uses for AI, and we don't overuse it.
Developing AI literacy in 2024 is like developing internet literacy in the 90s. It's not a question of if, but when AI begins to impact everything we do as a society, much less an institution.
I believe that the ethics of AI use must be the focal point for future trainings for educators and students. Without the context of the world in which AI is used, the AI itself will not serve necessary and communally-helpful functions within that world.
While I have not personally used ChatGPT or some of the other referenced apps, we do rely on Machine Learning in other Application vendors deployments consistently and they are often nameless features
Regardless of how much we embrace or accept AI and feel about the moral and ethical issues it creates, we need to be knowledgeable and understand this technology.
AI isn't going anywhere, so it is not a question of how to stop or slow it, but more about how to live with it. Teachers may be worried about all the ways students can use AI to plagiarize but there are also many ways AI could improve their teaching.  
I think it is probably commonly used by students, faculty & staff.  In order to keep up with the technology and to make sure we are using it ethically, we need to have the support and knowledge in place.  Be proactive, not reactive.
Is this committee open for new members?
I think we need to develop a critical approach to AI rather than embrace it uncritically, given how it could make real learning less meaningful
If we are not teaching in fluency of it, especially as it impacts future employment opportunities, we need to assess what we are actually considering "teaching" here at our higher education institute. Employers are running to it, if our graduating students are unaware of how to utilize it they will be behind others who WILL get those jobs.
I would appreciate more information on AI and how it can be used in my support position.
Ai detection software in Educat like how Unicheck works would also be incredibly helpful.
I am hoping that AI can be used to increase efficiency in certain administrative tasks by making programs smarter- like Canva, Cognos, Concur etc.  There are a lot of little things that slip through the cracks- like maybe use ai to set up an automated email when a department gets a new major. There is no way of knowing unless you run a new report of majors everyday. Its the little things like this that need improvement.
Since I believe that AI will be a part of the future of higher education - whether we like it or not, I would be very interested in being more educated about it's role at NMU and to develop skills in the utilization of AI. I tend to have concerns because I think there is some very negative aspects to AI. However I also can see some ways that AI could be used in a positive way. And I also understand that it will be a part of our future regardless.
I'm thankful the University has sent out this questionnaire. The online utopian and dystopian hype on either extreme of this issues strikes me as overblown, but it does seem as though this new technology/tool will impact academia, especially if the models continue to scale at the rate they have been since 2020. The issue is contentious within the Art and Design school and I think for good reason. That said I think knowledge on the issue will calm the fear.
I am mostly concerned that this tool like many that have come before it (google maps, spell check, cell phone texting, social media) will continue leading us down a path of digital dependency and human stupidity.  The same could be said for other technological advancements that have generated more harm than good (the car, plastic, etc...) but that is a broader philosophical debate, which maybe we need to have more discussion about as a society.
I am really worried about AI and academic dishonesty.  I am concerned that student's critical thinking skills and writing ability will be stunted by this technology.  I really want to learn more about it.
Regardless of how we feel, students are using these programs. It is incumbent on us to understand them and come up with an enforceable policy regarding their use in our classrooms. That cannot happen without the proper knowledge.
I think the paradigm shift that is happening with AI is likely to be dramatic and require a redefinition of higher education specifically.  Of course, I have no idea what that will entail, but I already see in classes that students regularly use AI at every opportunity (including creative content), that the AI products are constantly and rapidly improving, and that this is used as a substitute for mastery of material and its application. This will only continue.
Because of my limited understanding of all of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications and tools, potential applications in my position at NMU, and the scope of how AI is utilized at NMU, I am unable to answer the last survey question with my Human Intelligence (HI).
I think that AI could be helpful for menial, repetitive tasks, but NMU should be careful about becoming reliant on it for creative endeavors. From my limited experience, AI seems to do a great job compiling existing information. However, it seems to lack the ability to generate new ideas or connect previously unassociated concepts. This leads to stale writing composition and idea generation in my opinion. All in all I wish there were a way to have a forced "watermark" on products produced by AI.
Some areas may be more impacted than others
Instead of forbidding it, at some point, it has to become a very important tool in your teaching.
I have very mixed feelings about AI, and right now (for me) I think the cons outweigh the pros. There is a threat of someone's image/likeness being used by AI in perpetuity without compensation (the recent SAG-AFTRA strike), students relying on AI to write/research/think for them and not developing their own critical thinking/research/writing skills... I am personally trying to stay as far away from it as possible.
I am currently reading a book (Unmasking AI, by Joy Buolamwini) about some of the implications of AI as it relates to many things, primarily discrimination. While I felt I had a wary and respectful understanding of how AI will affect the future, I am intrigued and a little frightened and what the possibilities may bring. As a user of social media I am cognizant of the use of AI in many aspects of current life and can see that others are not seeing some of the falseness of what appears real.
Librarians all over the world are currently trying to decide if using AI will help with workflows. In some things, AI helps and in other instances it causes more problems due to hallucinations. It will be interesting to see what this committee recommends for University guidelines relating to AI use in classes and work environments.
Please lobby for funding for faculty to get access to the non-free version of chat gpt.
Thank you!
I'm intrigued by AI but that interest is overshadowed by the ethical issues and concerns.  Personally I'd rather we first developed strong ethical rules (not just guidelines) concerning AI.  It also seems as if it will produce a messy chaos if we at NMU dive into the use of AI in teaching before we've developed contract language that protects teachers from AI abuse (similar to the writers' strike Hollywood recently experienced).
WE need to learn how to use new tools and AI is one of them.
don't see AI helping me, but I'm a professor. There may be many positions on campus where it would be helpful. I mainly encounter AI when a student turns in an entirely AI-written paper (though I've written the assignments so it's nearly impossible to do the assignment in AI-- so those papers really stick out as missing the point of the assignment).
I think Ai has a lot of potential benefits for those in the university, but we need direction on how to apply it.
It would be great to be in more discussions about AI.
I'm very concerned about the negative impacts of AI, but can appreciate the possibility of its value. It would help to know the University's overall stance on use, pros and cons of use, and current/ongoing recommendations guiding students on use of AI. I personally prefer not to use AI, but as an educational institution, I think it's paramount that NMU staff are informed on what AI can do, it's limitations, and how to scale/optimize it's use, so they can choose for themselves how/when to use it.
AI is *already* effecting teaching, research, and administrative tasks within NMU; making sure everyone has a good baseline on 1) what it is/does (and fails), 2) where AI is sticking its nose into our lives in general, and in *your* life in particular, and 3) the ethical considerations surrounding all of the above seems prudent. Even for people who are completely against integrating/interacting with AI, since the places it turns up are many & varied. Some problematic, others useful.
AI is undoubtedly going to impact our work at the university. It will be extremely helpful to have guidance and training on how to best leverage the potential of AI while being aware of limitations, improper uses, challenges, etc. There is a lot of potential, and I'm interested in learning how to best use this new tool.
I have recently had experiences with students using AI to write papers; its deeply concerning and I do not feel equipped with how to always detect it and how to handle it.
I am extremely concerned about the slippery slope that will lead to the acceptance of AI. I am opposed to NMU allowing and even teaching students to use programs such as Midjourney and StableDiffuision (among others) that are trained on the work of artists that have not provided consent. We are here to instruct students on their skill development. Using AI is the abdication of any skill development. Why should I bother to read or look at anything you couldn't be bothered to write/make yourself?
How about we look for ways to encourage creative thinking? Support human creativity. The easy way is not always the best way to learn something.If you train on artists’ work without permission you’re not a friend to artists. You’re exploiting their work without permission to build a system that competes with them.
Thanks for the survey!
I'm mostly aware of AIs impact on the writing world, as that is my main interest area.  Obviously there has been a huge impact recently, and I'm interested in how this "new" tool can be harnessed and made to play nicely in the composition and writing world.  I'm also interested in how it is/will impact other areas.
Jump in, learn, and use, teach students the ethical and efficient use of AI tools.
Like all human creations, AI has the potential to be used for good and for bad.  The use of AI to support work where appropriate is fine.  The use of AI to replace people is unacceptable.  Using AI to replace the formal learning process is unacceptable.  NMU faculty and staff should be aware of AI, its uses, and the implications.  NMU should adopt a university wide policy putting AI in its proper place.
I selected Moderately helpful for the last question because I think some people will just ignore it and work the remaining bits of their careers without ever using it all the while complaining that new hires use it too much. Younger employees have already jumped on the bandwagon when ChatGTP rolled out, and students use it daily.  The training might only catch the inbetweeners that are unsure but still willing to learn.   
Overall, I think we need a lot of data standardization in order for AI to be useful.