Essays copied and notes summarized, these are the impacts of an increased presence of artificial intelligence in school settings. Artificial Intelligence is a computer system that is able to react to questions similarly to humans. An anonymous source said that AI can help students who have a heavy workload to complete their work quicker.
“It could help a student who is crumbling under work pressure,” Anonymous said. “[Students] can get their work done quicker so they can have more free time to themselves.”
While AI can help students complete work quickly, many have shared their concerns over the impacts of AI in a school setting. History teacher Susan Carey said that she has seen a rise in technology and AI over her 21 years of teaching, which has had a negative impact on students.
“I’ve seen the crutch of technology more than I ever thought I would,” Carey said. “It’s a huge distraction, where with AI, students are relying more and more on it to do their everyday tasks.”
AI sites, such as ChatGPT, are able to solve students’ homework, write essays and even summarize reading assignments. Carey said that if students rely on AI to do their work, they will not learn in school.
While Carey perceives AI usage as a way to skip work, some students claim to resort to AI to complete their schoolwork as a way to decrease stress. Sophomore Madeline Turner said that instead of focusing on banning AI, schools need to figure out why it is used in the first place.
“We need to utilize other resources, or reflect on what’s causing the stress in the first place, instead of trying to find an easy way out,” Turner said.
While Turner said she supports finding the root cause of the issue, she also said that AI can be detrimental in a school environment. Turner said that AI can have long-term consequences for students who use it, and wants students to keep their human qualities.
“It can decrease willpower and creativity,” Turner said. “I feel like people sometimes forget that the process of figuring things out and being curious is an art in itself.”
