By Lola Mancari and Jack Walton, WRHS Student Interns
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is computer science technology capable of performing complex tasks which previously required human intelligence, rendering it a very powerful tool that is growing rapidly. Because of its expanding popularity and usefulness, teachers and students alike use AI for their assignments. This can be both beneficial and harmful because when used in the wrong way, AI is no longer a device that is helpful but rather one that may undercut the learning process.
Many teachers use AI to help with a variety of tasks from creating assignments to grading them and everything in between. AI can enable teachers to provide quick feedback; however, if the information cannot be verified, it may cause more problems for teachers than it solves. Meagan Shannon, Spanish teacher at Wahconah Regional High School, pointed out that it needs to be recognized as a tool which can fail: “I use AI to give feedback to students; however, AI is not always correct, so I have to read everything before I share it with the students.” Rob Difazio, another teacher at WRHS, recognizes that AI has a lot of power: “I don’t like AI, but I have to learn to use it as it will stick around for a while.”
Students use AI as a mechanism to help them better understand their assignments, but even students see the potential harm caused if AI is used to complete their coursework rather than using it simply as a resource. “We use AI to gain ideas for assignments, and we think it is a good tool if used correctly, meaning not having AI write it for you,” according to WRHS students Brianna Lucey and Elliana O’Leary. AI can be used in ways that help students, such as facilitating research, but can also be detrimental to their learning because if they use AI to complete the work for them, they will not master the material or the skill sets they are there to learn.
When used properly, AI is a truly powerful asset that can be used to support students and teachers. It has great educational potential, but if misused as a “short cut,” it is hard to say whether AI will benefit students or be their downfall.
