In August, more than 5,000 incoming JMU first-year and transfer students considered the following fictional scenario: Should a university provide student access to an artificially intelligent chatbot app to supplement the growing demand for mental health services on campus?

The scenario, part of JMU's Ethical Reasoning in Action — which provides a framework for teaching and assessing ethical reasoning — was conceived by ERIA director Christian Early following a tragic series of events in the JMU community in 2022. “At the time, there was a big push for additional mental health resources in our community,” he said.

The video offers different perspectives on the issue using actors in the roles of administrators, professors, students and parents.