Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistance tools have risen in popularity in recent years. For example, according to ChatGPT’s user statistics, the tool gained millions of new users around November 2022. As such, schools have also seen a rise in students using AI to cheat or plagiarize.
Mr. Nyugen, an English teacher at Kalani, says it’s hard to create a structure for proper learning and usage of AI right now, as it’s a very “wildly scene.”
Mr. Melemai, an AP U.S. History and AP World History teacher at Kalani compares it to when the Internet first became accessible.
“We’ve seen this type of technology when the Internet started, and at first it was villainized but over time we’ve adapted to it,” Melemai says.
Melodie Wang (11) has observed some of the detrimental effects of overusing AI and strongly believes that it should be regulated and kept to a minimum.
Wang also emphasizes how Artificial Intelligence doesn’t create anything new, it uses and reuses data created by humans to make a “collage” of stolen information, giving it the face of something new when in fact it’s stealing it.
“I think the dependency on AI is kind of taking away the skills that have been, like, used and forced throughout centuries,” Wang explains. “So it’s like we are losing human culture to AI.”
Wang highlights many of the harmful ethical effects of AI as she states it takes away from human culture.
“We could be using it for better purposes; it could benefit humanity, but instead, we are using it to take away the occupations and passions of people who have worked decades for this one purpose,” Wang says. “And, like, the art, like, the value of art goes down if it’s just made in an instant. Like, it’s not efficient, because art doesn’t need to be something that’s rushed. If we use AI for the production of products, that’s one thing, but then it’s, like, not improving anything.”
As of the 2024-2025 school year, there have already been many actions taken to try and regulate AI within classes. In Kalani and many other schools it is now classified as plagiarism. With teachers now being equipped with certain apps and websites that can help them narrow down if something was written by AI.
Mr. Nyugen in particular, has students caught cheating using AI, rewrite their essays by hand, while observed by either him or a counselor. However, he also believes higher authorities such as governments should set firm regulations on the usage of AI in schools, as well.
“You know, this is like setting up a classroom,” Mr. Nyugen explains, “You enter, it’s a brand new setting for the first time. You’re meeting this teacher, you have no idea what is okay and what is not okay. So, naturally, you’re gonna push the boundary and see what you can get away with, and what you can not get away with, right? And it’s up to the teacher to set the precedent of what should be expected in the classroom. Much like the government could set a precedent of what is acceptable for what you should not do, in order to protect people.”
Mr. Nyugen also mentions how schools are slowly trying to integrate AI more as a reference and tool rather than having kids write entire essays or paragraphs with it. He explains that if used correctly, it can be a beneficial tool similar to Grammarly.
This idea of using Artificial Intelligence as a beneficial database is not a new one, and teachers like Mr. Melemai believe that it is the best way for students to use these tools to their advantage. He explains how it’s the quickest source of information, helps create rubrics, and can accommodate ASL, 504, or Special ED students. AI can turn a four page reading assignment into a one page summary.
“It takes away from the critical thinking part of writing, or thinking in general, and creating ideas,” Melemai explains, “But it allows you to acquire information faster than anything else, so you’re able to do work faster. So the downside of using it too much is we’re not able to think, however, we start to learn the limitations and also use it for educational purposes.”
Artificial intelligence is not going away, Mr. Melemai expresses how the only way forward is to adapt with it, people and students especially just need to understand that AI can’t replicate the critical thinking that students need to learn themselves.
“If we don’t teach our kids how to utilize it correctly, then they fall behind in the real world,” Melemai summarizes.
