As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes integrated into our society, it becomes increasingly more difficult to navigate our way around such advanced technology in an ethical way. It’s especially necessary for teenagers who are joining the work force in the future to learn more about how to use AI. Norwich Free Academy has considered this, and in order to educate students on this topic, Brian Ewing—an English and Literacy teacher at Norwich Free Academy—has proposed an AI Literacy class to begin next year. This future class will allow him to educate his students on the complexities of this technology.
“I think AI has affected some students pretty poorly, because we haven’t educated students on the ethics of using AI…so without those lessons I think students are using AI unethically,” Ewing states.
But what makes knowing how to use AI so important? Christine Browning, also an English teacher at NFA said, “I think it’s important because AI is getting integrated into our society and it’s not going away, so it’s important to learn how to use it as a tool to improve our lives and make (them) better.”
One may ask, “has AI’s negative influence on students really created a need for this class?” NFA Sophomore Aryanna Souza shares her experience firsthand.
“I have seen classmates copy and paste answers on AI…My family literally uses ChatGpt…it’s only getting bigger and it’s becoming a bigger part of our lives, so we might as well use it safely if we can’t get rid of it,” Souza said. “It’s in almost everything now…so if we don’t use it safely, we can misuse it and then it’ll be a problem.”
AI is something that’s very advanced, which means it needs to be taught to students for it to be used in a way that doesn’t negatively affect their lives. According to the National Library of Medicine says, “Over-reliance on AI may diminish interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, leading to social isolation and anxiety.”
Another large concern surrounding AI is its environmental impact. Southern New Hampshire University states, “AI data centers are currently located in areas with grids predominantly powered by fossil fuels…These are fuel sources that contribute to global climate change by releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere when they are burned.”
Knowing the potential damage of AI in the future paints the picture as to why this class is so important. It’s necessary for students to be able to work with AI as an assistant and not let it think for them, especially since it has already begun to infiltrate our lives so quickly.