Artificial Intelligence (AI), arguably the most controversial addition to education, has been discussed since the release of ChatGPT in late 2022. Typically, the main focus is on how students have taken advantage of this tool and used it to complete their assignments. Recently, the focus has shifted towards teachers using AI platforms to design and produce their assignments or even to grade them. The question is, where do teachers draw the line with AI usage?
A new addition to the Grosse Pointe School System’s rules and regulations states that teachers and educators may use AI tools to enhance lesson planning, instructional design, generate practice materials or examples and support accessibility, provided such use aligns with the educational curriculum. South English teacher, Taryn Loughlin, accepts AI usage in specific circumstances.
“We started with using AI without knowledge of it and without a policy, which is inappropriate,” Loughlin said. “When you don’t have checks and balances in place, you are asking for trouble.”
Now that new restrictions have been set, it can allow AI to expand in education more elegantly than in the past years. Loughlin mentions that, though AI usage in teaching is permitted to a certain point, it does not always mean students should use it.
“I don’t see the value in using AI for ideas because I think that can be a slippery slope,” Loughlin said.
Grace Geresy ’27, daughter of South TV production teacher Stephen Geresy, speaks on how her father has incorporated AI in his classes.
“My dad uses it every day, he makes songs with it,” Geresy said. “It is iconic.”
Even when Geresy supports how her father utilizes AI, she still recognizes how students have been directly affected by teachers or faculty using it.
“A couple of years ago, they [faculty] would have gotten art students to make posters; now it’s like AI is replacing their jobs,” Geresy said.
Teachers who steer away from using AI as a learning tool often use it for small requests, for example, generating groups for a project or even a seating chart. On the other hand, South social studies teacher, Andrew Taylor, is a teacher who has accepted AI as a useful teaching resource within his classroom.
“AI is a wonderful tool, and like any tool, you have to get better at using it by practicing using it,” Taylor said. “It takes time to figure out how to use a tool wisely, the same as you would with anything else you might work with.”
Students who are trained not to use AI may have trouble adapting to new practices with it, along with students who use it but forget to fact-check. Taylor mentions how teachers might struggle to find proper ways to incorporate AI into their lessons.
“Teachers are going to need time to learn how to use these tools and practice with them, because these tools tend to change a lot,” Taylor said. “But absolutely, they get better feedback and research strategies from more students.”
