Full Breakdown
Cornerstone University’s AI Advisory Board Aims to Produce “Irreplaceable” Graduates
7/26/2026, 11:26:54 AM
Launch of a Dedicated AI Advisory Board
Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, announced the creation of a President’s Artificial Intelligence Advisory Board. The board, composed of experts in philosophy, engineering, enterprise AI, theology and higher-education administration, is tasked with shaping curriculum, ethics guidelines and long-term strategy for the institution’s use of artificial intelligence. President Gerson Moreno-Riaño said the board will help the university keep pace with rapid AI developments while grounding its approach in Christian values.
Vision for “Irreplaceable” Graduates
Moreno-Riaño argues that many colleges focus on AI-related cheating risks instead of teaching responsible use. He contends that AI will transform every profession, making it essential to nurture human capacities—wisdom, discernment and the “struggle” of problem-solving—that cannot be replicated by machines. According to the president, the goal is to graduate students whose humanity and judgment remain indispensable, regardless of how AI reshapes specific careers.
How Cornerstone’s Approach Differs from Peer Institutions
Other leading universities have adopted fragmented policies. Harvard University lacks a university-wide AI rule, allowing individual faculty to set guidelines that range from outright bans on generative tools to encouragement of exploratory use. Vanderbilt University similarly leaves policy decisions to instructors, provided they align with the school’s honor code. Moreno-Riaño critiques this piecemeal model, asserting that a coordinated, values-based strategy better prepares faculty, staff and students for AI’s pervasive impact.
Official Statements & Responses
In interviews with Fox News Digital, Moreno-Riaño emphasized that AI should be a tool that serves educational goals, not a force that dictates them. He highlighted the potential for AI to lower instructional costs while expanding learning opportunities, provided institutions invest in faculty development and maintain a focus on cultivating discernment. The president also linked the university’s mission to its Christian identity, noting that “Christianity…understands what the person is” and that this perspective informs the effort to keep AI aligned with human purpose.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I don't think there's a safe career or a safe diploma, a safe major. I think every field will be significantly transformed by this. But I think the question we should be asking is that we should think about producing graduates that can't be replaced,” — Gerson Moreno-Riaño, cornerstone university president
- “But it's a human capability for wisdom and discernment that can't be replaced.” — Gerson Moreno-Riaño, cornerstone university president
