Suppose you hand in an essay and are accused of letting AI do it for you? With more and more popular AI programs like ChatGPT, students are employing new ways of getting school work accomplished—some acceptable, some not. It has sparked controversy among teachers and administrators across East LA: Do schools have to outlaw AI or should teachers instruct children how to utilize it properly?
They argue that AI is an issue with figuring out if a student gets something. “AI is changing homework, but instead of banning it, we need to get students trained on how to use it correctly,” English teacher Mr. Rodriguez at East LA High said. Rather than viewing AI as the problem, it needs to be incorporated into learning.
Anxieties about AI work are already being felt in the classroom. Garfield High instructors are observing essays that have been written awkwardly or lack personal reflection—tells-tale signs of AI assistance. Some confess to using AI but defend its usage. “Not everybody uses AI to cheat. Some use it to better understand things,” argued Jessica M., a Garfield High junior. She describes how AI assists her in generating ideas and explaining convoluted things she may be unable to think through by herself.
A 2023 Los Angeles Unified schools survey discovered 42% of high school students have used AI on school work, and 21% have admitted to using AI in ways teachers consider cheating. Although AI can be a helpful learning tool, according to experts, it’s a matter of rules needed so students and teachers are clear on what is and what is not permitted.
Cheating through technology is nothing new. There were the same issues with calculators and the internet, and in 2020, LAUSD struggled with online plagiarism. AI tools bring a new issue. Already, some school districts have put in place policies to weigh the value of AI against the necessity for academic integrity. These are AI detection software, training students on AI ethics, and teaching AI in the classroom.
LAUSD still argues about how it should handle AI in schools. Teachers and students are invited to provide their opinion in the upcoming school board meeting. Teachers encourage students to use AI as a tool of learning and not a shortcut to cheating but are calling for improved guidelines to make that distinction.
AI in schools is here to stay, but the East LA schools must learn to handle it in a fair way. Whether AI will be seen as a helpful tool or a cheating machine will continue to be debated. The future of AI in school lies in the way that schools choose to handle it. Will they ban it entirely, or will they find ways to teach responsible use? The answer could change the way that students learn forever.