UP College of Law to prohibit AI use, electronic devices in first-year core subjects
The University of the Philippines College of Law has released guidelines in the use of artificial intelligence in its first-year Juris Doctor classrooms. These include a prohibition on the use of AI and digital or electronic devices in onsite classes for core subjects.
In a document released Aug. 4, the law school wrote it was "recommitting to the fundamentals of legal analysis."
The school recognized how Philippine scholars and courts have observed "AI's potential to supercharge legal research and disrupt service monopolies." However, it said it has also found that its students' regular AI use interferes with their learning.
"We have noted a considerable decline in the quality of reasoning and argumentation coinciding with the regular use of AI by students for case briefing, answering simple queries during class, and research," the school wrote.
These observations were echoed by employers of new graduates from the College of Law, "which confirm our fears that many of our students have not just become AI-literate but AI-dependent," the document read.
To mitigate the harmful effects of AI dependency in the first-year level of the JD program, beginning academic year 2026–2027, the college will be implementing some changes.
As much as possible, first-year core subjects will be taught fully onsite and offline. Students will not be allowed to use any digital or electronic devices unless the instructor allows it for specific instances, i.e., giving presentations. Midterms and final exams for core subjects will also be conducted offline and onsite.
For any part of writing assignments, from conceptualization to writing and grammar checks, students are prohibited from using generative AI.
Not all AI-based research tools are prohibited, however. The College of Law Legal Research Cluster and faculty can introduce databases students can use, as long as "students are taught and satisfactorily assessed on research fundamentals," the guidelines stated.
According to the UP College of Law, students who bring digital or electronic devices into classrooms for first-year core subjects will face formal disciplinary action.
