In 1801, Scottish geography teacher James Pillans became the first individual to incorporate the use of a blackboard in a classroom. Teachers, professors, and students across the world came to embrace this new technology, and it was quickly perceived as a staple in any modern classroom. By the early 1990s, during a period of rapid technological advancement, SMART Boards were introduced with the potential to revolutionize traditional pedagogical approaches. This initially came with a wave of concern—including cost, equity, training, and technical issues—as many teachers were resistant to the drastic change in teaching.

Eventually, SMART Boards would prove crucial in the simplification of tasks in the classroom. Not only were students more engaged with the materials presented on a SMART Board, but teachers were able to reduce their lesson prep time and share class notes with students online via services such as Google Classroom. Throughout history, the incorporation of technologies in classrooms has met with various degrees of conformity and conflict.

With the recent advancements of Artificial Intelligence and large language models, what implications can be foreseen regarding its potential role in classrooms?

The Promise of AI in Classrooms

Blackboards and SMART Boards provided teachers with efficient ways of presenting materials to students, but what are the potential benefits of Artificial Intelligence, and subsequently Artificial General Intelligence, acting autonomously?

Students who score poorly on tests often do so for many reasons. They may lack an understanding of the material, but also the pace at which they learn new topics and concepts may not align with the pace at which the curriculum is being taught. Whether you’re learning the First and Second Fundamental Theorems of Calculus, or learning how to hook a bowling ball, we all have unique learning curves. The notion of finishing a topic by a predetermined deadline prompts teachers to increase the pacing of their course curriculum to achieve “maximum efficiency.”

This approach overlooks the needs of students who are struggling to grasp concepts. Each time a teacher asks the class, “Are there any questions?” more often than not, students—especially those who are introverted—are too afraid to speak up, resulting in their lagging behind their peers. Artificial Intelligence can address this disparity by offering personalized learning experiences that can adapt to the individual pace of each student.

The Reality of AI in our Classrooms Today

ChatGPT, released by OpenAI in November of 2022, became the “fastest-growing consumer internet app of all time after its launch nearly a year ago, notching an estimated 100 million monthly users in just two months,” according to The Verge. Students were able to not only have “a chat” with the model, but also take advantage of the model’s capabilities to complete assignments.

When students start abusing Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models to assist in cheating and plagiarism, moral and ethical considerations must be taken into consideration. Rather than teachers looking for possible plagiarized work on a student’s paper, this era of technology prompts teachers to look for AI-generated content. There are many software types that claim to detect AI-generated content, from Google’s Bard and OpenAI’s ChatGPT 3.5 and 4, such as GPTZero and CopyLeaks. Unfortunately, there are many cases where students are being accused of using Artificial Intelligence to complete assignments—groups that use and don’t use AI models. Some teachers would use AI detection software to judge whether a student is using Artificial Intelligence to do their work for them. However, according to OpenAI’s Educator FAQ, they say that AI detection software doesn’t work, “In short, no, not in our experience.”

So, how should teachers enforce strict artificial intelligence usage?

Teachers can utilize tools that detect writing patterns, the amount of time spent on a document, and the times they copied and pasted text lengthy text into their text box. Rather than using questionable software to assess the probability of a student having Artificial Intelligence generated content in their work, this is one of the best approaches to upholding the notion of academic honesty in all institutions.

But wait, should AI be totally banned in educational institutions?

If you take a look at the tools software engineers are using, they incorporate Artificial Intelligence into their work along with platforms such as GitHub and various extensions. If this is common practice in the workforce, why is it banned in schools? Since its release, educators have raised major concerns over its potential misuse by students, resulting in OpenAI’s website being placed under NYCDOE’s list of restricted websites. According to high school student Gisselle, “over time, students will lose that creative aspect to writing which defeats the purpose of writing.” When students become too reliant on tech, they won’t only lose the creativity that humans are known for but also the process of trial and error—learning from their mistakes and their environments. Incoming Princeton undergraduate Fred ’28 mentions, “AI shouldn’t be used to cheat or do assignments for people, but I argue that it can be used as a tool to generate better assignment responses.” Instead of using Artificial Intelligence as a slave for completing assignments in less than a minute, students should be encouraged to use Artificial Intelligence ethically and as a tool.

Some teachers in the FDR building are opposed to the decisions made by Mayor Adams and the NYC Department of Education. Mr. Hans, the AP Computer Science A teacher, and Ms. Acciarito, the AP Calculus BC teacher, are amongst those against the banning of AI use in schools. According to Mr. Hans,”I think that having students and teaching them the proper ways of using this new technology can not only stimulate thinking but also accelerate a student’s learning process, and I think that it would be incredibly beneficial for both the students and teachers.”

Analysis

Both sides of the argument surrounding AI usage have their own strong reasonings. Using AI can destroy original thought and promote an over-reliance of this new technology. However, when considering this argument from an ethical perspective, it can enhance a student’s learning experience and tailor to their own personal needs and pace. But, how do we guarantee that, even with proper education on AI usage, students will utilize this tool responsibly?