Students and staff recognize the impact of AI

By Shirley Diglio-Guerrette ‘27

Derby High School staff and students discuss whether the use of Artificial Intelligence is hurting the educational environment or bettering it. Students and staff are torn between deciding whether it is useful and appropriate for schools or if it will negatively affect critical thinking and problem-solving skills in the future.

In regard to whether or not AI is useful and appropriate in classrooms, Social Studies teacher James Piazza said, “Yes, and no, I’m all for AI and against it. I think there’s a place where kids can use it effectively. 
I think the problem is we have to teach you guys how to use it effectively. AI has grown so quickly and exponentially fast that it’s been tough for teachers to keep up with what you guys are learning, and with all the programs available.” James Piazza also said how he recently had the students in his class create a project, where they were able to use AI, as long as they were using it appropriately and effectively. In this case, it was using AI to brainstorm ideas, while the students themselves were doing the rest of the work.

Jordan Wellington ‘28 said, “I think AI is the devil. Look, AI is taking jobs. They’re taking people’s souls, and they’re gonna run the world in a few years. 
We do not need AI in schools. Thank you.” He also said, “The harm in AI is that people are cooked out of the brain rot, and also, people just don’t know what they’re getting into these days. AI is harmful to a lot of people, and if we don’t get that in check, we’re all gonna turn to dust.”

English teacher Nicole Borges said, “No, I think that as an English teacher, I’m seeing that kids no longer know how to write. They go to ChatGPT for ideas, which sometimes I think can be beneficial, but to write an actual essay, they’re not learning to properly write sentences. 
They’re just letting AI do it for them. They’re not learning how to properly plan out and structure an essay.”

Overall, AI can be helpful and harmful depending on how it is being used. AI is beneficial for brainstorming ideas, but it is also hurting our youth by making them overly codependent on it, and taking away their willingness to think critically and solve problems on their own.