Since the introduction of ChatGPT in late 2022, its usage has skyrocketed. Now, with 800 million active users,  it has become a commonly used application within educational contexts (Forbes). At Roxbury High School (RHS), generative AI has made its presence known, with both students and teachers using it for convenient purposes. 

In the classroom, teachers have observed a rise in students’ use of generative AI. For this reason, many teachers have reported that they can easily recognize when students use generative AI dishonestly for their schoolwork, because it has become so common.

English teachers, especially, have found it easy to detect when grading students’ work. Ms. Santoro, English and Journalism teacher, states that, “It’s obvious when students use AI, because teachers are familiar with students’ writing style.”  

With this, teachers are acting in accordance with preventing the unethical use of AI within the classroom. Something as simple as a reminder to students can serve as a prevention against using AI for their writing. English teacher Ms. Rispoli specifies: “I have the school policy written and hung up  in the classroom, and I believe it works for most kids.” 

But why are teachers going out of their way to ensure students don’t use AI to do their schoolwork for them? 

Though the answer may seem obvious, it must be said: AI significantly impacts students’ critical thinking skills. Even using AI to assist with research “still takes away the thinking component and the process out of education,” Santoro acknowledges.

Furthermore, students using AI for their work only strengthens the harmful rhetoric of simple black-and-white answers. It is essential that students understand nuance, and generative AI demotes that. Rispoli notes that, “society is always looking for a right or wrong answer. The more we use AI, the less we progress.” 

Although such technology allows us to progress into the future, it is reasonable to fear what AI means for our cognitive abilities. According to Rispoli, AI loses understanding of nuance, complexities, and the difficult ideas that human art conveys. From literature to visual arts, AI takes away from human emotion and understanding.

Meghan Lynch, an artistically inclined student, among other students attending RHS, agrees with this idea as well. They are especially passionate about how AI has become a rising issue within artistic fields. To Lynch, how a person uses generative AI reflects a person’s moral outlook. 

“The growth of AI has highlighted the lack of empathy and creativity in society. It shows the truth about people’s morals. In reality, people want to use it for their own benefit and they completely disregard its harmful effects on society,” Lynch says.

Concerning the topic of AI usage in art, AI-generated artwork has also appeared within the art courses Roxbury High School offers. Art teacher Mrs. Roman describes how AI has been able to assist students with the creative process within the Drawing & Painting course.  Similar to other teachers, Roman highlights how generative AI helps her with tasks that she does not have time to complete herself due to her busy schedule. 

For students taking an art class for their first time in high school, they may find it difficult to get started. Generating an image after mapping out the piece helps students envision how a completed project would look. “I tell them that I did not paint that [the generated image]. . .I showed them what it could possibly look like with color, so they can envision what theirs might look like,”  Roman states.

In art, everyone learns visually, and for teachers with a busy schedule, this instance demonstrates a practical usage for AI within an art class. 

However, some students reject the idea of generative AI within an artistic setting completely. Ashley Cunha, who is in her junior year at RHS, affirms that AI is unacceptable in both academic and artistic fields. She argues that a key part of art is the process itself, and using AI for small things is unethical. Cunha claims that “there are so many things that you can use to make art. So why use AI?” 

There is an ongoing debate on whether generating art through AI is ethical. This argument stems from the fact that some AI platforms are trained to generate images using what is “publicly available online,” highlights Kyle Chayka, staff writer for The New Yorker. Many students are concerned about this topic, as it is becoming increasingly apparent that AI is being used to generate artwork that takes away from human effort. 

With our rapidly changing world, generative AI is unavoidable. It is undeniably convenient. However, students must learn to trust their own capabilities when completing school-related tasks. Students are encouraged to use generative AI as little as possible by teachers. From writing to artwork, it is the process that allows one to learn. 

Growth can only be promoted if we recognize the value of our own thoughts and effort. Rispoli affirms that, “If I want to teach you anything this year, I want to teach you that your voice and ideas matter.”