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Date: October 20, 2023

While using AI to complete school work is frowned upon, the US Teachers Union has partnered with GPTZero to detect AI usage among students

A school teaches you how to get out into the world and grow in your aspects. While academics play one key role in defining the future, other activities help develop a budding brain into a fully functional adult who stays out of danger, prevents harm, inculcates inclusive behavior, spreads positivity, and inspires the next generation.

If you recall the surge in AI this year, you would also remember the hike in its usage among children for their academics. While there are courses to teach people how to use AI to get the maximum output, they are not a part of the academic curriculum yet. Apart from this, The US Teachers Union, the second largest Union in the USA, has partnered with GPTZero and NewsGuard to identify AI-produced school work. This measure will also curb the usage of AI to present academic projects. But a strong question that arises from this is, “Is AI bad for school children?”

“As technology evolves and disinformation is a click away, we are constantly trying to help our students separate fact from fiction as we help them develop their critical thinking and analytical skills. That’s where both of these tools come in,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten in a press release. “AI is a game-changer, but teachers need to be coaches in the game. In our effort to find real solutions that enhance student learning, it’s just as important that students continue writing original content to build critical-thinking skills and learn to express their thoughts truthfully and coherently so they’re adequately prepared for opportunities when they enter the world.”

The purpose of GPTZero is to detect AI-produced content. According to the teachers' union, this measure will prevent kids from taking the shorter route to gaining knowledge, which might hinder their brain development. NewsGuard will be used to prevent misinformation and misuse of AI effectively.

Many schools in the US have effectively blocked access to leading AI tools, including ChatGPT. While this will serve the purpose of cheating prevention, it may bring a gap in the education system’s evolution. AI is here to stay and reshape our lives. Children are best suited to learn the crux of AI and its capabilities as they grow.

Including AI education in the curriculum can be an extraordinary tool in building a strong generation that knows technology to its deeper roots. If children can find the benefit of AI and successfully get an output worth presenting in a class, it should not be completely negated from usage. Instead, allowing regulated usage with proper learning curves will boost academic prowess and help build better grades.

By Arpit Dubey

Arpit is a dreamer, wanderer, and a tech nerd who loves to jot down tech musings and updates. With a logician mind, he is always chasing sunrises and tech advancements while secretly preparing for the robot uprising.