While some might see valid uses for AI in the classroom, it shouldn’t be allowed at all. Beyond just the environmental effects, the impacts on student learning and school climates as a whole are incredibly detrimental. With the potential negative effects on critical thinking, including how students can grow reliant on answers being handed to them by AI, and even deception, as many students can lie about using it to write answers for them.
Why?
Well, one common reason why AI is “superior” is human error; we all make little mistakes that can affect our routines or plans that might spiral out of control into a bigger problem. However, that’s what being human is: we aren’t perfect; making mistakes helps us humans learn to correct them or improve on them. AI also makes mistakes. AI doesn’t always get some answers right. From my brief experience using AI to assist with math work in my junior year, I didn’t always get the right answer, and given how heavily students have grown dependent on AI, this could become a widespread issue.
Students use AI for almost everything related to schoolwork; some teachers have even adapted to this and decided that AI could be used for tutoring, with AI being able to help create lessons and worksheets for students, but not for getting answers. However, this obviously has some issues. For teachers and tutors, you’re putting your job at risk. AI has been known as of recent to take all kinds of jobs from people, artists, writers, and even customer service, promoting the use of AI might lead to it evolving enough to potentially take teaching jobs. For students, a human connection is key to the learning experience. I know many students don’t like teachers or disrespect them, but having someone real to talk to is important for learning and bonding with people. I personally would rather talk to an actual human being than a robot on an app/website, and back in 2017, two AI robots from Facebook made their own language (See New Bite Global’s video on it), so I think they’re fine talking to each other like how we talk to other human beings.
The Benefits
Now, how can banning AI use in school be beneficial? Well, pretty much the opposite of every reason why it should be banned. You’ll be able to learn more efficiently with AI, not making mistakes like the example I gave about AI and math questions. You can have a human connection with your teachers and tutors can properly educate you and teach you about topics you struggle with, and guide you through them. Writing isn’t everyone’s skill, but that doesn’t mean you should not try to practice writing to master it; it helps with critical thinking as well. I struggle sometimes and make mistakes when it comes to writing. Once you find your flow, schoolwork can be a breeze for you the rest of the year. You might struggle here and there, but that’s what being human is, not what you want AI to do for you, and not grow yourself.
Now with all of this in mind, I think that AI shouldn’t have a place in schools as a helper for students to get answers. I view AI more as a tool to assist with teaching, rather than an easy way to obtain an answer. However, I also believe that speaking with an actual person is more effective than relying on AI for help. With rumors of the AI bubble “popping” soon, who knows how long we’ll have websites like ChatGPT? Maybe students will be able to learn how to fend for themselves with finding answers or actually getting help from teachers and tutors instead of plugging in all of their questions into AI with intent to get an easy answer.
