Ever since ChatGPT was released roughly 2 years ago, it completely changed the education landscape. Students and teachers alike started utilizing it to help them with their work, but has this gone too far? 

Many students are not utilizing Artificial Intelligence as a tool but rather as a way to cheat and do all of their work without having to put in any effort beyond just copying and pasting the AI’s output. On the other hand, it is undeniable that these tools will reshape the workplace, and students who don’t know how to utilize them will be left behind once they enter the workforce.

This introduces a difficult balancing act for students, teachers, and administrators, who have to ensure students are still learning about their traditional subjects while also staying on top of the curve on the technologies that will shape the future world. 

“It takes away the chance of developing a true understanding of the topic, going beyond just copying and pasting the AI’s output. And not trying to understand and process what is actually happening,” Juan Carlos Ledezma, philosophy teacher at TCS, said. 

And Ledezma is not the only one, many teachers are worried about the possibility of AI. A recent study by Pew Research Center found that 25% of teachers believe that AI tools do more harm than good in K-12 education, while 32% see a mixed balance of benefits and drawbacks. So far, TCS has been attempting to pursue this balancing act by introducing new tools that allow teachers to see when text has just been copied and pasted and give feedback on students’ work automatically. Similarly, most teachers have implemented AI-friendly policies, encouraging students to use it for research and fleshing out their ideas but still making them make the mental effort and the writing.

“Students may use to check, to look for examples, to search for others’ interpretations of the topic, but for writing a text I prefer they do it themselves. AI can give them arguments, phrases, and quotations that they can use to create solid arguments,” Ledezma said. 

Likewise, many students are aware that AI, while very useful, can take away from their learning by allowing them to ‘fall asleep at the wheel’. “I think it needs to be used very carefully since if I rely on it too much I will kill my critical thing but if I use it carefully it can positively impact my learning,” Simon Aristizaba, senior, said. 

Ultimately, Artificial Intelligence can be extremely useful for students to do research on a topic, to help develop their ideas, or to be a free 24/7 tutor, it is also extremely important for them to not overstep in its use and ensure they are still able to learn; and likewise, it is imperative teachers create and enforce policies that promote this kind of relationship with AI.