Back to School: AI Usage in High Schools
Last spring we launched our inaugural essay contest for a scholarship to our most promising high school tech ethicists. Open to active high school students in the United States, we received an incredible response from 47 states across the country. From the essay prompt that asked the students to describe how tech and data are being used in their lives, and how to address its biggest challenges, number of themes, and a case for change, emerged with clarity and urgency.
Over 600 high school students had a LOT to tell us. Here’s some of the themes that we learned.
A disparity is growing as AI is more accessible for specific socioeconomic statuses, this is showing up in high schools.
AI usage is widespread in high school, regardless of the school’s policy around it (or lack thereof). Students are using AI for daily homework, in classes, for larger projects and assignments, as well as in their personal lives.
Schools are struggling with how to control AI usage and do not have the answers yet. There is no one unifying or leading framework for effective governance.
Students feel very conflicted on what is the right and wrong usage of AI, ranging from a flat refusal to engage, to using it for every aspect of their academic and social lives.
The variation on how AI can be used in schools is variable in some cases on a class by class basis if not school by school and district by district.
Students shared how they are coming up with their own criteria of when and how AI should be used for them on a personal level.
All of these themes are prevalent in the larger thread of conversation around AI in our society outside of the educational setting. Said another way, our youth are struggling with what to do with AI and how to use it and need guidance.
Questions we would ask everyone to contemplate:
How can AI help or hurt our high school students?
How can AI hinder the abilities and opportunities that our high school students have or will have the potential to have?
What are the personal and institutional lines to draw for usage of AI in school work?
What should educators, administrators, and guardians do to regulate the use of AI in schools?
We hope to encourage discussion and spark thoughts on a better way for AI to be a part of this next year of school.
