Starting this fall, the University of Chicago's Social Science Core—a required sequence for all undergraduates—is going fully analog. No laptops. No phones. No AI. No recorded lectures. Every assignment must be completed without artificial intelligence. It is one of the most aggressive technology restrictions at any major research university, arriving at a moment when most colleges are actually loosening their AI rules.

The University of Chicago announced this week that its Social Science Core (SOSC)—a mandatory sequence every undergraduate must complete regardless of major—will operate as "analog" classes beginning this fall semester. The policy was described in a memo from division head Jenny Trinitapoli, whose stated goal was for students to "read, write, and think without dependence on AI."1

The announcement, reported by Forbes on August 24 and Inside Higher Ed on August 26, makes UChicago one of the most restrictive major research universities in the country on the question of AI in academic work.12

What "Analog" Means in Practice

The rules are specific. Starting fall 2026, Social Science Core students must:

  • Read all assigned texts on paper
  • Keep laptops, cell phones, and tablets put away during class
  • Avoid using wearable AI—including devices like Meta glasses—in the classroom
  • Complete all written assignments without the use of AI tools
  • Attend live, unrecorded lectures

Faculty face restrictions too: professors cannot use AI language models for grading without disclosing the practice and validating results against authentic human grading.

Narrow exceptions exist. Instructors can allow AI for assignments that specifically require dataset analysis or citation research. Students with approved accommodations through Student Disability Services can also receive exceptions.1

Separately, the University of Chicago Law School announced that it will ban laptops, tablets, and phones from its classrooms entirely this fall, citing a commitment to discussion-based learning.2

If you are starting at UChicago this fall, read your course syllabi before the first day. The AI and device ban applies to all Social Science Core sequences—not just one class. Bring assigned readings on paper and expect to hand-write notes or type assignments offline without AI assistance.

Why UChicago Is Going Against the Current

What makes this policy significant is that it runs counter to the direction most of higher education is heading.

According to a February 2026 study reported by Inside Higher Ed, faculty across the country are moving away from outright AI bans—not toward them. Highly restrictive policies introduced after the launch of ChatGPT are giving way to more nuanced approaches that allow AI with proper attribution.3

The data on syllabi shows the shift. Language focused on academic integrity concerns appeared in 63 percent of course materials in spring 2023, but fell to 49 percent by autumn 2025. Attribution requirements—asking students to cite AI use rather than prohibiting it—climbed from just 1 percent of syllabi in 2023 to 29 percent by the end of 2025.3

Yale, Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins, and Indiana University have all enacted policies that discourage faculty from relying on AI detection tools as primary evidence of academic dishonesty, signaling a broader move toward transparency over prohibition.

UChicago's Social Science Core is a deliberate exception. The division is making a pedagogical argument: that reading carefully, taking notes by hand, and constructing arguments without AI assistance is itself the point of what the Core teaches.

Whether or not your college bans AI, practicing unaided writing is worth building as a skill. The ability to form a clear argument without assistance separates a student who understands the material from one who used AI to get through it. Our guide to studying effectively in college covers note-taking and active reading strategies that work regardless of your school's technology policy.

What It Means If You're Heading to UChicago

The Social Science Core is not optional. If you're a first-year arriving this fall, you will be in SOSC classes—and you will be doing the work by hand, on paper, without your phone on the desk.

For students who've typed everything for the past four years, this will require adjustment before day one. Expect:

  • Paper syllabi and print readings
  • Discussion-heavy class sessions where showing up prepared matters more than usual
  • Written assignments submitted without AI-drafted text
  • Faculty who take the policy seriously

If you have a documented disability that affects your ability to participate under these conditions, connect with Student Disability Services before classes start. The policy explicitly provides a pathway for exceptions.1 Our guide on how to request academic accommodations in college walks through that process.

For anyone still choosing between schools, how to pick your college classes freshman year is a good read—but at UChicago, the Core means you have less flexibility in that first sequence than most schools give you.

Probably not as a primary criterion. Most schools don't have department-wide restrictions this sweeping. But academic culture is a real differentiator worth asking about on visits.

UChicago's Core curriculum has always been a feature, not a bug, for the students who choose it. The analog policy is an extension of that identity: intensive, discussion-based, focused on the formation of ideas rather than efficient output.

Students who want a different experience—one where AI tools are integrated into coursework—should look at programs that actively teach AI literacy. Both approaches are legitimate. They just produce different kinds of graduates.

If you're still deciding, how to choose a college covers the factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive at a school, with academic culture being one of the most underweighted.

The Bigger Picture

This fall, you'll hear conflicting signals about AI in college. Some schools are weaving it into every classroom. Others are drawing hard lines. UChicago's Social Science Core is the most publicized example of the latter—but it reflects a real debate happening at every institution about what education is actually for.

We've covered related shifts, including how AI is reshaping the college admissions essay and what Gallup's research says about AI's influence on students switching majors. The technology is moving faster than most institutional policies, and that gap is going to create friction—and opportunity—for students who understand both sides.

What to Do Now

If you're starting at UChicago this fall, print your assigned readings and practice working through dense texts before classes begin.

If you're an incoming freshman anywhere else, read every syllabus for AI and technology policies during the first week. They vary by course, professor, and department—often significantly.

If you're a prospective student, ask about academic culture and technology policies on your college visits. The answer will tell you more about a school than any ranking.

And wherever you are, remember that your first semester grades matter more than any single tool. Adjusting to new academic expectations—AI ban or not—is part of what college is actually teaching you.

Footnotes

  1. Tietzel, M. (2026, August 24). The University of Chicago Bans AI, Other Technology, In More Courses. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2026/08/24/the-university-of-chicago-bans-ai-other-technology-in-more-courses/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  2. Inside Higher Ed. (2026, August 26). UChicago Goes "Analog" for Some Courses. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2026/08/26/uchicago-goes-analog-some-courses ↩ ↩2

  3. Inside Higher Ed. (2026, February 13). Faculty Moving Away From Outright Bans on AI, Study Finds. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty/learning-assessment/2026/02/13/faculty-moving-away-outright-bans-ai-study-finds ↩ ↩2