With new software like ChatGPT, which uses generative artificial intelligence to create original content, students can now use AI to complete a wide variety of tasks such as solving math problems, answering questions, and even writing essays for them.
However, with this wide-ranging capability, educators, parents and teachers must now consider the implications of such a powerful piece of technology, and how to use it responsibly in the classroom.
Jonathan Frishman, a current high school teacher, spoke on his experience with AI in the classroom.
“I had to have a candid discussion with my students and tell them, you know, if we are going to accept that this is a thing, we have to understand it. We have to be responsible in our usage of it,” Frishman said. “Did I have issues with students using it inappropriately and committing acts of academic dishonesty? I absolutely did.”
But from an educator standpoint, Frishman believes that AI has potential, especially in leveling the playing field for students with less educational resources.
“I’m still taking a cautiously optimistic view with the hope that we are able to develop AI responsibly,” Frishman said. “There are many students out there who don’t have access to private tutoring all the way through school, and this might be an avenue that gives them an advantage where they can see their own outcomes change significantly.”
Asa Nahidi, both a parent and an AI data scientist, still holds mixed feelings towards AI use in the classroom.
“Based on what I can see right now, we should say no, because they (schools) don’t have any tracking system. They don’t have any plan for that.” Nahidi said.
At the same time though, Nahidi believes schools still need to be ready to adapt and implement these tools eventually.
“At the moment, right now, maybe they can say no, but they need to make sure that they don’t stay behind,” Nahidi said. “To me, as a parent, my methodology all the time is that we need to be one step ahead of the children to be a good mentor, to protect them, to support them.”
Nahidi’s daughter Houchehr Rad, a current Katy ISD high school student, believes that even though AI is still developing, educators need to be aware of this tool in case students use it to cheat.
“It’s very primitive right now and it doesn’t really have any benefits for me to use other than, like, experimenting,” Rad said. “I do think that it’s going to be a problem in the sense that more people are going to try to use it and are going to attempt to cheat and that’s going to be a problem.”