“Use academic integrity.” A phrase many students hear before writing a paper for class. But what does academic integrity mean? It means using honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage. However, every student interprets these words differently. One student could think that academic integrity means not using any outside help, while another could think it means having another person come up with ideas and outlines for them. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming more prevalent worldwide as time goes on. As AI becomes more popular, the Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) needs to put a policy on what AI use is acceptable and what is not.
According to the Pew Research Center, 1 in 5 teenagers aged 13-17 who have heard of ChatGPT say they would write an essay using it. Hearing this is not a shock to me, as many of the students that I have talked to have openly admitted to using ChatGPT to write assignments for them. While AI was crafted for many different reasons, students have adapted to utilize it to their advantage due to TUHSD not having a policy around AI.
AI can have many positive benefits for both students and teachers. For teachers, it can help them create assignment ideas and more. “I love AI chatbots! I use them to make variations on quiz questions. I have them check my instructions for clarity. I have them brainstorm activity and assignment ideas,” said Associate Professor Katy Pearce at the University of Washington in an interview with The New York Times.
For students, AI can give feedback very quickly. It can correct simple grammar issues and help correct syntax errors. While getting direct input from a teacher is the most beneficial way to improve one’s work, they aren’t always available. AI can be used as a backup for giving feedback in these circumstances. Additionally, it can help spark ideas for students. While some people see the use of AI to spark ideas as unethical, others believe that it is okay for these situations.
Having a paper written for you in minutes without doing any work on your end seems intriguing. Imagine you have been working on homework all night and still have to finish a three-page paper. It is already 11:30, and you are tired and want to go to bed. This paper is very important for your class; you must finish it before tomorrow. Do you stay up for hours finishing it or write it using ChatGPT? Cheating is the number one problem that is associated with AI. While this is a big problem, if the district would implement rules on acceptable ways to use AI to help with schoolwork, many people would reduce using AI to cheat and start using it in acceptable ways.
AI websites have been created to detect AI-generated writing, but they aren’t very reliable. I have a peer who recently talked to me about almost getting zero credit for an assignment they completed 100 percent on their own. This teacher told them that their writing “didn’t sound like their own,” when they ran it through an AI-generated detection website, it said some of it was generated by AI. This made my peer feel very defeated as their teacher didn’t believe they wrote this independently. They had spent a lot of time and effort writing this, and after talking with their teacher, they explained that they wrote it themself, and the teacher understood.
With AI becoming more frequently used daily, we must learn how to adapt and use it in school. It can be a helpful tool that would benefit both teachers and students if rules and regulations are put in place for the circumstances it is permitted to be utilized.
