For as long as artificial intelligence took to develop, it has rapidly become a fixture in schools. ChatGPT, in particular, is infamous among students, along with SnapAI and MetaAI, all of which a steady percentage of students use to complete menial assignments. Meanwhile, some students fail to realize the environmental impacts that go into the maintenance of systems of artificial intelligence. According to MIT News, the costs of AI include “increased carbon dioxide emissions and pressures on the electric grid”, increased “strain (on) municipal water supplies”, and disruption of local ecosystems.
For those students who do not succumb to the ease of a “cop-out”, there still exist challenges born from the overwhelming popularity of AI. One student of West Orange High School reports that she was accused of using AI on a handwritten assignment. Students are being forced to go to great lengths to prove their innocence and sometimes not offered full credit simply because a teacher holds unfounded beliefs that their work is the result of artificial intelligence. According to Callie Holtermann of the New York Times, “many students have imposed methods of self-surveillance that they say feel more like self-preservation”, including recording their screens as they complete assignments. This creates a hostile educational environment where students are forced to anticipate accusations of plagiarism which may have a negative impact on their work.
So, to those of you who use AI frequently for schoolwork: I would encourage you to rethink why you feel you need to have AI complete easy assignments for you, and if it is worth the costs to the environment and to your educational journey. And to teachers: while I appreciate your vigilance, sometimes you just have to trust students when we say we value academic integrity.
