Many students in this generation rely heavily on the use of AI in school. A site called Campus Technology states that nearly 90% of students and graduates report saying they have used AI for schoolwork. While using AI may not seem like a problem, constantly using AI bots, such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, to do your work is not only cheating, but also doesn’t help you obtain the knowledge that you’re putting into the work.
However, AI does have good sides to it. For example, using AI for things, such as figuring out how to set something up or word it, is helpful. These things are only known as helpful because the AI bot isn’t giving you the answer to something. Instead, it’s leading you in a better direction.
AI has become a lazy go-to for many students during school. Instead of putting effort into their work, they see that it may be difficult, and instead of trying to understand the curriculum, they use AI because they think it’s easier. In my opinion, AI isn’t an easier route. For school work, yes, it’s understandable to think that it would be, but once you have to take a test or quiz, you’re not able to use the stepping stool of AI. And that in itself should cause concern to your teachers because you’re getting good grades on all of your school work, but then fail a test.
This is why AI has become less helpful. Not because it’s AI. But because of the way many people are choosing to use it.
Another point on the topic of AI is how teachers are trying to prevent AI use. There’s a new statewide phone ban, which may end up helping the amount of AI use, but students still have things such as Chromebooks to access the internet, and the internet allows access to AI bots. Although teachers didn’t make the phone ban, a strategy many teachers use to check for AI is simply using another AI bot for humanizing text to see if they can find any inhuman writing. If this method isn’t used, it’s common for teachers to review the text themselves to identify anything that seems inauthentic. People have reported that their teachers gave them zeros simply because students used an Oxford Comma or an em-dash in something, such as an essay. This kind of punctuation is commonly taught in elementary school and, most times, becomes a habit of use.
While AI tools can be beneficial for students, it’s important to use them responsibly. Teachers and students should work together to ensure learning remains authentic.
