As AI technology has continued to develop, students and staff at UC High have found it playing an increasingly large role in their lives.
AI usage in schools has been a point of contention for educators ever since the inception of generative AI such as ChatGPT. While some argue that AI could be used as a tool by educators and students to hasten the learning process, others say it causes too many issues with cheating and plagiarism. As the debate continues, however, AI continues to be integrated more and more into people’s lives.
At UC High, many students have found it to be a blessing. Senior Connor Macleod stated, “It’s reduced my workload by so much… It’s a very helpful tool.” Junior Jeein Kim agreed on this matter. He expressed, “It makes it easier for me to find quick facts with little to no hassle. Due to the seemingly limitless knowledge it has, I feel like I can use it in a way for me to gain information way easier than other sources.”
AI is utilized by students in a variety of ways. “I often use it to track calories and quickly find the macros of a meal or snack. I also search for more information on AI than Google as the answers are shorter and easier for me to understand,” stated Kim.
“I use it a lot, mainly for schoolwork and just helping with things such as college essays and writing,” Macleod said. “If it’s an easy question that’s just short and simple then I’ll use AI,” said Sophomore Olivia Jacobo.
Staff also use AI, finding it to be a helpful tool. Associate Principal Alex Villalobos said, “I use it sometimes to help me organize my thoughts when I’m responding to an email, or writing a letter of recommendation. I probably use it most when writing emails from time to time.”
English Teacher Jennifer Huszar said, “Personally, I use it for all sorts of stuff, for search queries, things like that. For school, I’m trying to find ways for students to use it as a tool.”
UC High is continuing to embrace AI administratively, as staff learn ways to use it professionally. “I’m getting trained on certain AI research tools that are specific to education,” said Huszar. “I went to a professional conference, and they were talking about how AI could be used professionally,” said Villalobos.
Despite its increasing usage, concerns are still shared over AI. Jacobo said, “I don’t want to be dependent on AI. It’s very easy to get into that slump of just using AI for everything.” Kim said, “I feel like it is okay for you to use AI as a source and a way for you to learn, just like the ways we use Google. However, with AI being so much more convenient, it allows for easier cheating, which I think can hinder our educational progress.”
As an English Teacher, Huszar in particular has concerns over its impact on her job. She said, “As a teacher, I’m worried that I’m going to be replaced by a robot. I know that on one hand it can be used really efficiently; on the other hand, it’s not a human being, and it’s not me. I hope that it just makes our lives more efficient so that we can pursue making ourselves better human beings. I would like to think of it as an assistant, not a leader.”