Let’s not artificially teach intelligence
As with many other people in this world, I have had a difficult time accepting the nature of artificial intelligence [AI]. I am constantly told to accept the changing times, that AI has many benefits for all ages, that it is a way for jobs to get easier and one less thing to worry about in our lives. Since the beginning of the school year, in almost all of my classes, teachers have reminded their students to stay away from the use of AI, that it will result in a zero in the assignment and further trouble may ensue. While this speech often gets repetitive, I completely agree with it. However, I cannot stop myself from questioning why teachers get a “free pass” from their own speech. Almost all of my teachers, the same ones who spent the first day of school lecturing about the consequences of using AI, have turned to it as their partner in teaching. From grading simple assignments to creating tests, teachers have begun to fall into the same trap that they have fought so hard against.
Teachers play the most important role in our education. Their job requires constant involvement, often receiving no reward for their immense diligence and effort. I am not a teacher; I do not know how much time is placed outside of their jobs to prepare lessons and create assignments. We all have lives outside of school, both teachers and students. Some students, with their long lists of extracurriculars and activities, end their day with barely any time to complete homework assignments, so they often turn to AI platforms to assist them, or even completely do their work for them. I do not believe this usage is appropriate, as most assignments are created to further student education. However, I know that this usage is inevitable, especially in high school. With an increase in teachers using AI, students are bound to be further influenced to use such platforms.
Within the classroom, some of my teachers have found what I believe is an appropriate use of AI programs, utilizing them strictly for additional feedback that they may not have the time or ability to provide. This is used alongside their own feedback, and solely done for the purpose to further student education. This AI feedback never reflects in my grades for that class, and the teacher continues to lecture and read through assignments as they normally would without the use of AI.
Nonetheless, the line of appropriateness has been crossed in other classes, with teachers relying on AI to fulfill the entirety of their job. When preparing for a test, I spend hours of my day after school looking over notes and previous assignments to get an A. This effort is something that I know many of my peers also put in, stressing in the days leading up to each test, as it can create a great shift in one’s grade. This motivation, however, has started to diminish as I learned that many of my teachers turn to AI to create their tests, and then blame the students for failing. The only individuals who know what was discussed within the classroom and through lectures are the students and the teacher, not AI. So, why turn to a computer to create a test that can make or break a student’s grade? Is it really that difficult to create your own 30-question multiple-choice test?
Not only do I find this use of AI to be completely inappropriate, but it also leads to a decline in motivation for students to do well in the class, as it seems even the teachers have given up on them. Many students, in all types of classrooms, experience immense difficulty in school, and teachers who motivate their students to learn can completely change one’s perspective on education. With teachers beginning to rely on AI to do their job, this motivation and teacher-student connection is lost.
No matter how much anyone fights against its use, AI is here to stay, if not evolve even further. The use of AI within the classroom must be used to an appropriate extent, simply as an extra tool. Even though I don’t think it’s right for students to use AI to complete their assignments, I don’t think they should be punished for this usage either. Students are compelled to feel that it is justifiable for them to use AI for their work, just as their teachers do.
