Artificial Intelligence is a new technology that has been rapidly developing over the past couple of years, and with its growing popularity, it’s no surprise that this unique innovation has caused controversy, particularly in the field of education. 

AI websites such as ChatGPT have been blocked on student Chromebooks to prevent their usage, but many students have argued that AI is beneficial to their learning, which begs the question: Is Artificial Intelligence a tool or a cheat?

English teacher Abigail Goldsmith said teachers are skeptical of AI.

“A lot of teachers are worried about its implications for learning,” Goldsmith said. “There’s a very fine line between using AI to point you in the right direction and using AI to cheat. Copying text from AI is just like copying and pasting from a website.”

Teacher Cole Duncalf feels that AI defeats the purpose of learning and damages students’ integrity.

 “It takes away what it means to challenge yourself in your learning,” Duncalf said. 

Teacher librarian Stephanie Stocks said that some students want to use AI to completely shape and structure their work. This is considered plagiarism.

“The issue is that the ideas don’t come from us,” Stocks said. “At the Fall Teacher Librarian Update meeting at Keystone Area Education Agency, they even called it ‘AI-giarism,’ rather than plagiarism.”

Despite this concern, students have found ways to use AI constructively.

“I write my essay, and then paste it into AI and ask it to help me revise my paper,” senior Elizabeth Sleper said. “It’s still my work, but it’s just like using a thesaurus. I’m the one creating the original ideas, not the AI.”

In an article published by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Houman Harouni, Ed.D and lecturer on education, said, “Getting school students and those in higher ed to engage in virtual worlds is essential.” 

Harouni went on to say that schools must “help the next generation face the reality of the world and develop instruments and ways of navigating this reality with integrity.”

The integration of AI in learning and everyday life is likely permanent, so teachers and other staff like instructional coach Jamie Smith believe it’s important that students are educated on AI. 

“I think AI is here to stay,” Smith said. “We just need to find the best ways to use it and teach students how to use the tool effectively and to their benefit.”