Generative AI cannot be treated as just another digital tool that has come along. As it becomes more and more embedded in higher education, universities face the challenge of responsibly navigating the many challenges and opportunities that generative AI brings with it. One central guiding principal for institutions and stakeholders engaged with generative AI is intellectual sovereignty, which the German Science and Humanities Council (Wissenschaftsrat, WR) highlights in its newly published position paper, which was presented in a digital press release on 06.07.2026.

Intellectual sovereignty refers to the ability to think independently, exercise critical judgment and maintain autonomy in the creation and evaluation of knowledge. Rather than relying uncritically on AI-generated outputs, this concept encourages students, educators and institutions to actively question, assess and contextualize information. By placing intellectual sovereignty at the center of AI adoption, universities can foster a culture in which generative AI enhances learning and innovation while preserving human agency, critical thinking and academic integrity.

As member of the council, Hendrik Drachsler worked together with the other council members for the past year and a half to make the following recommendations on teaching and learning processes in higher education and on institutional frameworks:

  • Development of AI skills: Competent AI usage is essential for both students and educators. The teaching of AI competencies must be seen as a strategic goal in academic programs and offered at various levels.
  • Importance of academic knowledge in higher education: Critical thinking and subject-specific knowledge are things that need to be cultivated through years of teaching and practice. This development of professional expertise must be a main goal of higher education.
  • Creation of AI-free spaces: To be able to properly evaluate the results of generative AI applications, independent thinking is required. This must continue to be cultivated and practiced without the use of AI.
  • Redesign of exam formats: To avoid individual exam solutions, subject-specific regulatory frameworks must be developed. As AI-usage cannot always be completely forbidden, it is more important to create a learning atmosphere, in which students are intrinsically motivated to tackle challenging tasks without the use of AI.
  • Scientific evaluation of the effectiveness of AI applications: Empirical evidence for the educational impact of the practical implementation of generative AI applications in real-world educational contexts is much needed. The council recommends that federal and state governments establish adequate funding programs to support this important research.
  • Redefinition of the roles and relationship between students and teachers: It is important that teachers are not left behind by rapid technological developments. At the same time, students need to be encouraged to use AI constructively and thoughtfully, and not as a substitute for independent learning.
  • Restoration of places of higher education as places of social learning: With generative AI, individualized support and reflection on learning processes are becoming even more important for supporting students academically and socially. At the same time, higher education institutions should foster modern learning spaces, opportunities for social interaction and better conditions for studying.
  • Development of a sovereign and high-performance AI infrastructure for higher education: To successfully integrate generative AI into higher education, resources must be combined and collaborated structures created. These synergies can ensure that higher education institutions have the robust and high-performance AI infrastructures that are needed to provide students, faculty and researchers nationwide with secure and reliable access to generative AI.
  • Provision of legal guidance: A central, national network should be established to consolidate existing expertise and establish clear legal guidelines and recommendations for the use of generative AI in higher education institutions. This central network should regularly update the guidelines and issue statements and expert opinions on legal issues.

See here for more information:

Wissenschaftsrat (2026): Intellektuelle Souveränität: Empfehlungen für die Hochschulbildung in Zeiten von generativer KI; Köln. https://doi.org/10.57674/1evx-t906