This week in class we discussed artificial intelligence. I think this was a topic we have all been looking forward to as future educators because it still feels very new and fresh, and there is a LOT of uncertainty around it. Especially as an English teacher where much of my class will revolve around writing essays, stories and more, AI is something that concerns me as it is so easy for students to come up with content without putting in any work. While there are websites to check for AI and other tips and tricks we can use, we agreed that there might always be uncertainty around whether something is AI generated or not.

Going into my teaching career, I plan to use a lot of hand-written assignments and assessments so I don’t have to worry about students using AI. Though this wont be practical with every assignment, I think I will be able to weave in-class work into a lot of my assessments that will show students learning along the way which will show me that they are not relying entirely on AI. We are still in the ‘baby’ phase of AI, and while there are some giveaways for AI generated content (including text, pictures, and videos), AI is only going to improv and get better, so it is in our best interest to try to teach students how to use it as a tool (correctly, ethically, and responsibly).

A futuristic classroom in the year 2050, featuring advanced AI-driven learning systems. The room has a sleek and modern design with holographic projectors displaying interactive lessons. Students sit at desks equipped with augmented reality screens, and humanoid robots assist in teaching and answering questions. The walls are lined with dynamic digital boards showing educational content. The atmosphere is bright and futuristic, with a mix of natural lighting and ambient glowing lights in a clean, high-tech environment.
Photo by ChatGPT

Above I asked ChatGPT to “generate an image of a classroom in the future if AI keeps progressing at the rate it is right now.” While this is impressive for a computer to generate, it also shows that we are still some ways away from AI being 100% accurate (see the floating robot, odd blurriness etc…).

We also chatted about the environmental damage these systems are causing– mainly the large use of fresh water in order to cool the CPUs. I wonder if in the future these companies will be taxed for this, and in turn they will start charging users per prompt or for a membership. While there is a lot of uncertainty around AI, I believe our best course of action is to try and work with it rather than try to hide it from our students. We can show them how to check for reliability, and show them how they can use it as a tool to help them generate ideas for class projects.