How to Talk to Your Student About the Safe Use of AI Tools
Over the past 5 years, AI technology has taken off. From ChatGPT to AI image generators, there is so much to learn, and even more to be cautious about. When it comes to academic and personal use, make sure you talk to your children about how to use AI safely. Here are some tips!
The Safe Use of AI
As parents and educators, our goal is to protect and guide our students in every area of their lives. We have to stay informed and keep up to date as new technologies, social media, and trends become a part of our students day to day realities. While we can’t monitor everything, one area that should be on every parent's radar is AI.
With only two letters, AI is just about everywhere. Just like the technology of the past (calculators, the internet, and spellcheck), we shouldn’t shy away from teaching our students about it. After all, it is and will continue to be a part of our world and theirs for a long time. In order to talk with your children about the risks and rewards of AI, it’s important to become informed yourself.
What is AI?
If you aren’t familiar with the term already, AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. These are sets of technology that allow advanced functioning in computers such as translating words, making recommendations, analyzing data, and even being able to see.
There are different types of AI available, all with different benefits and drawbacks. The form of AI that has recently made a large impact on student learning is called Generative AI, which is the use of AI to create new content, including text, images, sounds, and videos.
AI use has many benefits including reducing human error, automating workflow, accelerating research and development, and being available 24/7. While these functions are valuable, there are also some drawbacks to AI to be cautious of. AI information bias and errors, increased isolation, job loss, and cheating are just a few effects exasperated by AI use.
When used correctly, AI can be a useful tool for people of any age, however, it’s important to understand AI limitations and educate your children on the right and wrong ways to use this new technology. We offer three pieces of advice below!
What Students Should Know About AI Tools
1. AI Should Be A Starting Point, Not The Final Destination
In many ways, AI can be a great learning tool for both students and teachers, but it can also hinder freedom of thought. There are helpful ways to use AI as a student that don’t sacrifice their learning. Things like idea generation, checking answers, and using AI-generated responses as a jumping-off point for assignments can quickly give students the support they might need when they are stuck. In this way, AI is not a final destination (i.e., a copy-and-paste answer), but a starting point where students can continue to form their own opinions and responses.
One of the big issues with generative AI is its ability to write full essays. Truthfully, using AI to do any part of your assignment (unless stated by your teacher) is probably not a good idea. Remember, assignments are there to support your long-term learning goals and teach students critical thinking skills that will apply to other areas of your life. More than that, using AI-generated text is a form of plagiarism that can result in a zero on assignments or worse, expulsion from school. Many teachers have AI-specific policies in their syllabi and even AI-tracking tools to monitor assignments. Although it might sound easier at the moment, using AI inappropriately can have serious consequences that affect your future.
3. Be Aware of AI Bias and Misinformation
Although AI might seem like a fount of wisdom, it is only as smart as the information it has been trained on. The data that AI has been programmed to draw answers from may include biased and even false information that will result in students receiving flawed responses. There have been several instances where AI has perpetuated stereotypes and social inequalities. Parents and educators alike should be aware of these biases and have conversations about the limitations and dangers of AI with their students to prevent the spreading of misinformation.
Already, AI is changing the way the world works and will continue to do so well into the future. Ensuring our students are adept at understanding and safely working with AI tools is a necessity we cannot overlook. As AI and education continue to intertwine we can support our students by thoughtfully navigating these advancements.
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At CMC, we are committed to preparing our students for their future. To request more information on enrollment requirements and how to apply, please visit the Clackamas Middle College website!