Higher education firm Stadio has developed a “traffic light” framework that categorizes when students can, cannot, or should use artificial intelligence in their curriculum – embracing the technology rather than taking a punitive approach to its use.
Under the system, each assignment is marked red, amber or green. Red means AI is not allowed; Amber means use of AI is optional; And green means the use of AI is necessary. Stadio said some assignments will require students to actively use the technology as part of their training for an AI-powered workplace.
“As a higher education institution, we should not be afraid of AI,” said Dr. Jolanda Morkel, Stadio's head of instructional design and senior research academic. “We believe this is not going away – it is already changing how people live and work, and our responsibility is to ensure that our students graduate prepared for this world.”
Morkel said the red assignments are designed to build independent skills such as critical thinking, communication and problem-solving. Ember assignments allow students to decide whether to use AI tools for tasks like brainstorming and editing. Green assignments require students to use AI – for example, to speed up repetitive tasks or generate ideas – giving them practice applying the technology in professional contexts.
“Through this approach, students don't just learn how to use AI — they learn when to use it, and why it's important,” Morkel said.
He said AI skills are now as fundamental as reading, writing and numeracy, and the goal is to develop AI literacy that includes using technology responsibly, evaluating its outputs, and applying it ethically in different contexts.
Stadio said its emphasis will be on academic integrity, critical engagement and authentic learning, and that exposing students to all three categories of AI uses during their studies will give graduates a competitive edge as both professionals and ethical AI users.
“There will be tasks in the workplace where AI is not appropriate, there will be tasks where it can be helpful, and there will be tasks where it is indispensable,” the company said.
Stadio acknowledged that many academics view AI with skepticism and said it is working to help its employees see it as a valuable partner in improving educational outcomes.