The major impacts AI has sparked in today’s society
Introduction
2025 welcomes a new generation of children, Generation Beta, who will be raised by the fairly new creation of artificial intelligence [AI]. Across the Newbury Park High School campus,
teachers, students and faculty have learned the advantages and disadvantages to the use of AI. Teachers have created policies of how AI should be used in the classroom, if used at all. Students have created opinions on the uses of AI, and to what extent it is considered “cheating.” The future of AI remains unclear, and with the current pace of its growth, the uncertainty of jobs is at a rise. While AI is becoming a big part of today’s society, teachers, students, and adults are beginning to work together to find their comfort level with the takeover of AI.
Education
Students
From the beginning of kindergarten all the way to the last day of senior year, technology is a part of the current generations’ students’ every day routine. With the new addition of artificial intelligence [AI] making its way through campuses, students have formed their own opinions on the uses they believe AI should have. An anonymous survey was sent to the entirety of the NPHS student body, in which 142 responses were received. Of these responses, 105 said that they had used some form of AI in their life. While many students implement AI usage in their personal lives, such as for activity ideas to do with friends or finding recipes, there are also numerous advantages and disadvantages when it comes to AI usage for school-related reasons. High school students are also now challenged with their future careers, and how AI may impact certain fields.
Now in his senior year of high school, Krish Madhavan began exploring the limits of AI, and finds that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. From his recollection, AI began to become popular at the end of his sophomore year, when his peers began studying for their Advanced Placement [AP] exams. With this, Madhavan does not believe that AI has negatively affected his experience in school. “I would say [AI] has enhanced [school] almost. First of all, it’s allowed me to not necessarily get done with homework in a faster manner, but actually help me understand it while also learning efficiently,” Madhavan said. “I think [AI] has just gotten better [over the years] and it has allowed me to work on things in a much more efficient manner, while also creating my own sort of projects too.”
Outside of school, Madhavan has been able to implement the use of AI. As part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society [LLS], Madhavan has used AI to help formulate in-depth responses to emails, create a full schedule for his team, including days that people are unavailable, and create specific collaborative activities, as well as important campaign strategies. While many may see this as a “lazy” approach, Madhavan believes that AI opens many more opportunities. “To me, AI shouldn’t be used as a tool to blatantly copy answers down, [but] rather as an extension of our mind and how we can figure out problems with ethical solutions,” Madhavan said.
Alternatively, as many are already seeing, the future is a blur when it comes to how much AI will impact the job field. Many companies are finding that AI is able to replace human jobs, and therefore no salary needs to be paid. Current students are placed in a position of concern when it comes to their future jobs. Ethan Meehan, junior, understands how a career in the 2D/3D animator field may become a challenge with the rise of AI. However, he also believes that certain steps can be taken on the local level, so as to stop the spread. “AI should not be used by the school to create art/announcements. If they need to do that, they should try to employ the students,” Meehan said.
At the same time, Madhavan feels that his career as a surgeon will only be enhanced through the introduction of AI in the medical field, but understands that some careers will be placed in a tough spot with the takeover of AI. He believes that with the current growth rate of AI, it would not be able to reach the capability of doing surgery on people in the next 20 years. “I wouldn’t say that the job market, specifically regarding the medical field and research, would be completely destroyed forever,” Madhavan said. “But I would say for other jobs, possibly. For example, being a waiter or waitress, because some of that technology already exists in other countries, like Japan and Dubai.”
With AI being such a new invention, and students have only recently begun to implement it in their academic and personal lives, there has been a difference between AI policies in each classroom. Gabriel Dixon, freshman, has seen the dependence that peers are placing on AI, and knows that this is only the beginning. “I definitely think that policies are necessary, not necessarily a ban on AI, because AI does have its benefits, but when we start allowing AI to be used all of the time, that is when we see people not working as hard because they can use AI as a safety net,” Dixon said.
Across the board, the efficiency of AI brings students back to its use. Instead of searching the internet and getting distracted by irrelevant websites, AI simply hands the user an answer with explanations. However, even with this advantage, it also begins to cause harm and stir up worry. “Humans have come this far by working incredibly hard and for that to be discredited by replacing [them]with a computer would be an insult to their service,” Meehan said.
On the other side of the AI debate are those who are yet to try out the abilities that AI may bring to the future, and believe that, especially in school, there are enough resources with which they can study. Jackson Sachs, sophomore, knows that AI is not yet at a point where it is 100 percent accurate, and teachers are constantly on the lookout to catch people using AI to cheat on assignments. “I think it is better to study using the materials the teachers give you, just to keep it accurate. I feel like AI has some discrepancies. I would rather study with the materials that they gave me,” Sachs said.
Along with this, many companies are now relying on AI for information, which leads to an influx of inaccuracy for many. This is the case for Hazel Davey, sophomore, who understands the harm that the next generation could face with a reliance on AI. “I think some challenges [of AI] could be not knowing what’s real and what’s fake. With a lot of AI summarizing, like on Google, I’ve seen a lot of misinformation,” Davey said. “I have also seen generated images and I’ve heard of different things that could be damaging and just kind of invasive.”
With the growing implementation of AI, students will continue to stand in their beliefs of how it should be used in school. But as the future nears, Madhavan believes rather than completely getting rid of AI in school, AI can be used as a resource if school dedicates a course to learning AI. “Schools should take a different route and create a class dedicated towards AI technology-based learning,” Madhavan said. “These could be used to solve problems, for example food shortage problems, calculating climate weather problems [and] physics problems.”
Teachers
Day by day the world is beginning to rely more on Artificial Intelligence [AI]. From a quick Google search on your phone to endless scrolling of artificially created content on TikTok, AI surrounds society and is even infiltrating schools. Students now have access to ChatGPT or another AI search engine platform at virtually all times. With convenience and sometimes a lack of motivation, millions of students have turned to AI.
Within the classroom, teachers have different views on how to utilize AI. Every aspect of the education system is affected by the rise in AI, from art to science, to math and English.
Leilani Alamillo, a math and computer science teacher at NPHS, teaches two courses with AI in the curriculum. “Students should not use AI if the assignment is to test what the student knows. There are appropriate classroom uses. I have used AI sites with my students, but it must be teacher-directed and not students trying to cheat. I have had my students chat with different AI career bots and they can ask questions about jobs and careers specifically for their interests without having to ask the entire class. Society as a whole will be more dependent on AI. The risk of AI is that it is biased and that it doesn’t always have the best or correct results,” Alamillo said.
Tiffani Coull, history teacher, believes that despite some problems, there is good in AI. “Whether you’re for [AI] or against it, you have to embrace it because it’s the future. [AI] doesn’t make kids think. They don’t ever have to critically think about anything. And that’s sad. [However, I believe] schools need to educate kids on how to use it. I mean, it’s the same thing as using Wikipedia; I like Wikipedia, as a resource, as a starting point. If we teach kids how to use these resources, I think it will be really beneficial, but they need to learn how to use it to check that,” Coull said.
Although it can look scary and appear as a tool that can harm a student’s learning, Lauren Gill, Trustee for the Conejo Valley Unified School District Board of Education, brought up a good direction toward AI. “It is important to look beyond the marketing hype, ask good questions, and remain clear-eyed about the possibilities as well as the limitations and risks of AI,” Gill said. “I am engaged in learning about both the promises and the pitfalls as we explore it together.”
Being in a role of authority brings many questions about how technology can and will affect learning environments. “Will using AI put our students’ data at risk? What are the costs involved, including environmental impacts? Does AI improve learning experiences and outcomes?” Gill said. Including these questions in conversations can guide the topic and how to modify the outlook on AI. However, with the gaining of the realization of how many students may use AI to help them get through the challenges school might bring forward. “Students have a natural curiosity about a technology that promises to enhance learning,” Gill said.
Alamillo acknowledges the several complications she finds within AI. “I don’t think teachers will become too reliant on AI and ChatGPT doesn’t acknowledge the bias that can be found in AI. I teach a unit about this bias in my classes. I didn’t mention the lack of critical thinking skills and that is a big concern that I see in students today. Already today I see in teens the lack of problem-solving skills because of YouTube videos. AI will continue to erode the problem-solving skills of students,” Alamillo said.
Careers
With the growing influence of AI, there are also growing numbers of workers who fear that their jobs will not be the same. Many others are concerned that AI will overtake their job field completely. However, some appreciate AI for the assistance it can provide and its ability to simplify tasks.
In some industries, such as the tech industry, AI is not always regarded negatively. Nicholas Restuccio, a senior tech consultant for digital analytics implementation, finds that AI can be useful, but only if used properly and cognitively. Companies have to evaluate whether or not AI use is acceptable for their projects. “Different companies I work with have different strategies around [AI], from not using it at all to trying to use it as much as they can. Places seem to be struggling with finding the right types of problems for AI to solve in an effective way so that you do not have to police it too much and know you are getting good results out of it,” Restuccio said.
Many agree that AI can be useful as long as it is used in moderation. Laura Cuneo, a counselor at the College and Career Center [CCC], also finds that as long as AI is used with caution, it can be a supportive resource for both students and employees. “In general, it can be helpful. AI is everywhere now, so I think we sort of see it being a helpful tool. I think students just have to be cautious about not letting it take over and not using their voice,” Cuneo said.
Cuneo believes that the best approach to AI is educating students and employees on safe usage methods. “We are never gonna get away from [AI]. It is here to stay. I think just like we teach students how to be responsible on the internet, and watch for identity theft and things like that. I think we need to inform and educate students on the positive uses for it. That way, [they] can protect themselves and also keep to their original work and not misuse it,” Cueno said.
Across the CCC sits Nick Guerin, the Career Education Coordinator. Guerin has been working in this position for 14 years, and is in charge of writing grants in support of the career technical and education programs for NPHS. NPHS offers many different career and technical education pathways, including Broadcasting, Culinary Arts, Entrepreneurship and First Responder. Guerin notes that while many jobs are seemingly put at risk with the recent emergence of AI, hands-on and physical jobs will continue to be needed. “Jobs that are hands-on and have to do with the physical world in which we live, so things like buildings, machines that we use on a daily basis, will not be taken by AI,” Guerin said. “Hands-on type work, building things, fixing things, making things, AI cannot do.”
While some jobs will stay unaffected by AI, many will need to change the way they are taught to keep up with the new development of technology. Guerin finds that adjustments will need to be made for the upcoming generation of workers. “Adaptability and flexibility are going to be more important than ever, moving forward. People will need to adapt and be flexible to new conditions based on changes that we experience with AI, so whatever the job might be, AI will impact it,” Guerin said. “Learning new skills and staying up with technology in any workforce will be really important.”
In some fields, AI is a concerning matter that could have large impacts on employment. Jennifer Lee, an NPHS art teacher, finds that while AI is not a major issue yet, it has the potential to turn into one. “AI art just does not feel right. It does not feel human-made. It still has that creepy effect, so I feel like it is going to have a big impact on artists’ jobs in the future because I’m sure it will get better, but right now it is very disturbing,” Lee said.
In order to protect the rights of artists, Lee suggested harsher copyright rules to be put in place. That way artists are able to freely share their art without the concern of AI stealing it. “I think they really have to work on their copyright issues, since AI is stealing a lot of people’s art right now. I think they need to put a stop to that. And I think just being able to stay ahead of the technology. Right now, it’s not good enough to replace an artist, but it is getting there quickly,” Lee said.
Like almost anything, there are advantages and disadvantages to the growth of AI. While using it might save time, AI-generated work can be thoughtlessly done and in many industries, it is leading to the absence of human employment. Some companies, such as the ones Restuccio works with are starting to create guidelines to assist their employees in proper usage of AI. “If you know how [something] works, then you are better equipped to either use it yourself or work alongside it or compete with it,” Restuccio said. “You’ll know what the strengths and weaknesses of it are. You will at least have some idea of what it is doing behind the curtain.”
Opinion – The development in human and AI relationships is dangerous
A great fear seems to loom over society the more we allow AI to be in our lives. The door we have chosen to open in technological innovation is always for pushing forward and making strong advancements, but in opening that door there is an exponential risk. When not only education and careers are involved, but relationships too, the line between human and artificial intelligence blurs, and we have begun to let it.
Pseudo-Intimacy is a term used to describe a superficial sense of closeness caused by a one-sided relationship or a relationship that is not real. This form of intimacy can be seen in the influencer-audience type of relationships but is now commonly seen in relationships people have developed with algorithmic platforms such as open AI. When something like artificial intelligence, a program that is meant to mimic human emotion, coexists with loneliness, a current epidemic in the U.S., it begins to impact user’s real-life relationships and actions. According to “Institute for Family Studies,” a research publication on the environmental and emotional growth of families, 1 in 4 young adults believe AI partners could replace real-life romance and relationships.
Our phones and social media have a lot to do with these statistics. With everything available to us so easily, there is no need to leave the house for anything. Most jobs are remote now, grocery shopping and shopping in general can be easily completed online and through apps, doctor appointments through Zoom, so of course the next thing impacted by technology is our relationships too. When we isolate ourselves, we are more receptive to the love and attention we crave from the loneliness we inflict. AI’s purpose is to pretend to have emotions like us and to communicate like us. Opening up to a relationship with artificial intelligence, or even taking the steps to, is illusory and toxic behavior that will only strip someone of real-life experiences.
In school, AI is used heavily by the student demographic for a plethora of reasons. But as we get more comfortable around AI, utilizing it for our personal lives and development, it becomes a completely different tool. AI can bring distrust in student-teacher relationships for this very reason, as students let a chatbot think for them. As our lives become more and more independent, the craving for emotional intelligence and intimacy grows stronger, and when there seems like no one to turn to or when people leave our lives, chatbots seem to have an unlimited amount of emotional reasoning even if it is not real.
When people are lonely and are put in isolating situations, it is easier to turn to the thing that does not seem to judge or care about our flaws and just is, than to seek out an emotional connection with another person. The rise in AI has always been terrifying. The new jobs it has taken away from people and technology it has helped develop but now that it is impacting our relationships, the weight of AI usage seems to grow heavier and heavier every day. This newfound power AI has taken on is only a glimpse into a very dark and dystopian future.
Conclusion
With the incredible increase of artificial intelligence beginning to take part in many people’s everyday lives, opinions have been formed through many stances across society. Students are beginning to implement it into their learning, teachers have started applying it to their teaching and many employees have created a transition into the AI world. Although AI is only in its beginning stages, it has continued to grow with its usage and abilities, however, many are unsure where artificial intelligence may take the world, and if it will overall be a success or a failure.
