Please note: Student comments have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
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Many students said that, if used the right way, A.I. can be a helpful learning tool.
I think that A.I. is a good thing if it’s used as a tool. If you are doing a research project and you are researching a certain figure, you can use A.I. to pull up a doc all about them and their life. A.I. should not be used for simply translating assignments and not even learning the material or taking anything away from the assignment. A.I. also helps answer questions if the teacher is not available. We students should use A.I. as a learning tool, rather than a cheating shortcut.
— Christian, Branford High School
Some students rely on A.I. to a great extent, to the point where they are unable to critically think and problem solve when faced with a challenging situation. This over-dependence on A.I. results in students not knowing how to do the most basic things. However, I believe that A.I. can be a useful tool. It can create study guides on almost any subject, and students can prompt it to fit their needs. Additionally, students can give A.I. a rubric for an assignment, then have it grade and critique it, looking for anywhere the student can improve. This is a very beneficial way to use AI because teachers are not always available to give a student feedback.
— Wardah, Valley Stream North
A.I. can definitely be used to cheat, but it can also be a helpful tool for students if used the right way. For instance, someone writing a long essay might know what they want to say but struggle with how to begin or end it. In that case, asking A.I. for a sample intro or conclusion could give them a useful starting point. Then, instead of copying it, they can use the example to write something in their own words. When used like this, A.I. becomes more of a support tool than a shortcut, helping students improve their writing without doing the work for them.
— Mateo, New York
In my opinion, there are certain excusable uses for A.I. in assignments. Using A.I. to write you an entire essay is cheating. However, using Grammarly to help with spelling or to help you word a sentence better is not cheating. My school does not like the use of A.I. for writing entire essays, and if I were a teacher I would still not allow things like ChatGPT but I would love the use of Grammarly to help students, and maybe even help to teach them.
— Kaytrin, Elk Rapids
When I use A.I., often it’s because I genuinely need help with a certain assignment or am stuck with creating new ideas. A.I. can help with flowing thoughts. If someone is having trouble with their math homework, they can ask A.I. to break down the problem for them and help them understand how to do it. However, there are students who use A.I. with no intention to do better, but with the sole purpose to get the work out of the way or submit work that they did not do themselves. A.I. is a good tool to use if it’s used correctly and not abused.
— Ariana, Valley Stream North High School
