AI, Guest Speakers, and What Faculty Need to Hear

Guest speakers are often invited to speak to students, but what they share can be just as useful for faculty.

AI, Guest Speakers, and What Faculty Need to Hear

At a conference I attended, one speaker suggested that professors should begin grading students not only on their written work, but also on the prompts they use with AI tools. The reasoning was straightforward: as AI becomes a standard part of work, the value of a paper or project will increasingly depend on the quality of the questions behind it.

The comment was instructive. It underscored how quickly workplace expectations are changing and how universities will need to adapt. If companies expect new hires to use AI responsibly and effectively, then higher education has to prepare students for that reality. That preparation cannot be limited to warnings about plagiarism or shortcuts; it has to include training in thoughtful use, ethical considerations, and critical evaluation of AI outputs.

I shared the idea with colleagues, and it led to practical discussions: should we integrate prompt design into assignments? What role should faculty play in modeling effective and responsible AI use? How do we balance innovation with the need for academic integrity? These are not abstract questions. They are the kinds of conversations that shape curriculum in real time.

This example illustrates an often-overlooked benefit of guest speaking. While students may be the intended audience, faculty also gain insights into current industry standards, emerging skills, and workplace realities. In areas like AI, sustainability, or healthcare, those insights can help ensure that courses remain relevant and responsive.

At SpeakerPost, this dual impact is what makes guest speaking so valuable. Guest speakers contribute directly to student learning while also offering perspectives that educators can draw on as they refine their courses. It is not about replacing academic expertise but about complementing it—bringing current industry knowledge into conversation with established scholarship. When those two perspectives meet, students benefit from an education that is both grounded and up to date.