Every year, Artificial Intelligence gets more advanced, and more available for everyone to use. Popular AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and Google Gemini are used by people on a daily basis. The ethical use of these tools is always in question, especially in educational circumstances.
AI in education is more of a concern than a tool, and should not be relied upon so heavily.
AI isn’t completely trustworthy, and using it for assignments can cause computer viruses or other damages to your computer. Some cases show people using AI to fool another person online, which led to some unfortunate consequences. If something like this happened in education – maybe someone looking for a tutor was given a virus with the help of AI – the aftermath could be dire. Assignments could be lost and there could be some serious academic impediments.
There are other unethical academic purposes students use AI for. With technology advancing rapidly, more and more students cheat on exams, tests, and even just regularly assigned homework or assignments. Using AI on any of these is academic dishonesty. District policy states that if you get caught cheating on a daily graded assignment, the maximum score you can get is a one percent. On major grades, the assignment is redone and the maximum score you can get is a 70%. AI can just provide an unnecessary temptation for extreme consequences. As of 2023, 11% of undergraduate students were reported using some AI in writing assignments. Around 15% of high school students submit assignments with at least some AI-written material. It’s not being used as a tool, it’s being used to cheat. That’s unsettling, to say the least.
Furthermore, AI isn’t always accurate. Some may say that it’s a necessary resource for studying, and while it may be helpful, studies have shown bias and misinformation when using it. You can be certain that what you’re learning from a teacher is from the required curriculum, but fact-checking AI sources can be tedious and more work than just asking a teacher.
Using AI for educational purposes can be beneficial, but with the risks considered, simply asking a teacher can be more advantageous. Viruses gained from AI, some students’ deceitful motivations, and simply questioning the accuracy of Artificial Intelligence are real concerns, especially when there are more straightforward options. Instead of students relying so heavily on it, or just taking it away all together, giving students a school-regulated AI source with restrictions, and most importantly encouraging students to learn more from their teachers, could be extremely rewarding.
Insight Links:
https://www.edweek.org/technology/new-data-reveal-how-many-students-are-using-ai-to-cheat/2024/04
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/reddit-ai-food-delivery-fraud-rcna252661
