Current Concerns in Education Regarding AI

Earlier this summer, a few weeks before school was about to start, some colleagues of mine—teachers and administrators in Independent Study programs here in California—and I were discussing some of the things that were on our minds about the coming school year. At the top of the list was ChatGPT and AI.

What should we do with this? Is it a threat? Will students just use it to cheat, and how should we deal with that? Or is it an opportunity for us as educators to teach our students how to use this as a tool to augment their learning?

We were more filled with questions than answers. But one thing was for sure: AI is here to stay. It isn’t going away and we better learn to embrace it.

By now you all know that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming various industries, and education is no exception. As technology continues to evolve, educators are beginning to explore the potential benefits and challenges AI brings to the classroom. While AI offers exciting possibilities to enhance learning experiences and improve student outcomes, there are also significant concerns that need to be addressed. In this blog post, we will delve into the current concerns in education regarding AI and discuss the ways to strike a balance between leveraging AI’s potential and addressing its ethical and practical challenges.

AI in Education: The Promise and Potential

AI has the power to revolutionize education by personalizing learning experiences, automating administrative tasks, and providing valuable insights into student performance. As Lasse Rouhiainen, author of Artificial Intelligence: 101 Things You Must Know Today About Our Future and an international expert on artificial intelligence, explains, “With a personalized learning experience, every student would enjoy a completely unique educational approach that’s fully tailored to his or her individual abilities and needs.”  What a difference that can and will make in education!

Personalized learning platforms, driven by AI algorithms, can cater to individual student needs and learning styles, ensuring that each student receives a tailored education plan. This can lead to increased engagement, better retention rates, and improved academic performance. And who doesn’t want that!

Furthermore, AI can streamline administrative processes, freeing up educators’ time to focus on teaching and mentoring. From automating grading to managing student records, AI can significantly reduce the burden on teachers and administrators, allowing them to devote more attention to students’ academic and emotional growth. Another boon to educators everywhere. However, these potential benefits aren’t without significant concerns.

Addressing the Concerns: Data Privacy and Security

While the potential benefits of AI in education are compelling, concerns about data privacy and security loom large. AI systems in education rely heavily on vast amounts of data collected from students, including their performance, behavior, and even personal information. This raises critical questions about how this data is collected, stored, and utilized.

As reported in an article published by the Brookings Institution: “As artificial intelligence evolves, it magnifies the ability to use personal information in ways that can intrude on privacy interests by raising analysis of personal information to new levels of power and speed” (Kerry). There are definitely reasons for us to be cautiously concerned.

Educational institutions must prioritize data security and adhere to strict privacy regulations to protect students’ sensitive information. Additionally, it is crucial to involve parents, students, and educators in transparent discussions about data usage and the potential risks associated with AI implementation in classrooms.

Ensuring Equity and Inclusion

Another pressing concern revolves around ensuring equitable access to AI-driven educational tools and resources. While AI has the potential to level the playing field and bridge educational gaps, there is a risk that it may exacerbate existing disparities if not implemented thoughtfully.

To address this, educational policymakers and institutions must actively work to provide equal access to AI-powered educational resources for all students, regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds. Implementing AI should not perpetuate existing inequalities but rather, it should be used as a tool to empower and uplift underserved communities. Research supports the idea that classroom educators should seek ways to promote inclusive and equitable participation in classroom discussions when utilizing AI (Suresh et al). How that can best be done is a huge question that needs to be explored.

Maintaining Human Connection

One of the critical aspects of traditional education is the human connection between students and teachers. The concern with AI’s growing presence in the classroom is that it may diminish this essential bond, leading to a less personalized and empathetic learning environment. Clearly, no one wants that.

To strike the right balance, educators must integrate AI as a supportive tool rather than a replacement for human interaction. AI can enhance teaching methods, provide data-driven insights, and streamline administrative tasks, but the emotional support and guidance that teachers offer cannot be replaced by technology.

This very important point emphasizes the importance of the human touch which is something that clearly AI and ChatGPT cannot replace . . . at least for now.

Fostering Digital Literacy

As AI continues to influence education, there is a pressing need to equip both students and educators with digital literacy skills. Understanding how AI algorithms work, analyzing AI-generated content critically, and being aware of potential biases in AI systems are all crucial aspects of digital literacy.

Educators must receive proper training to effectively integrate AI tools into their teaching methods, while students should be encouraged to develop critical thinking skills to navigate the AI-driven landscape responsibly.

Currently, the biggest gap in many AI platforms such as ChatGPT is its inability to properly find and cite sources. Also, although the algorithms which AI uses to generate responses are impressive, they are not as yet consciously aware and cannot effectively evaluate facts from opinions, information from disinformation. It’s our job to teach our students how to do just that.

As Sam Wineburg, PhD, psychologist in the Stanford Graduate School of Education, explains, it’s vitally important that we as educators “explicitly teach [our] students how to identify misinformation and disinformation and explain the difference between the two” (Pappas). If we fail to teach our students how to distinguish between facts and opinions, conspiracy theories and lies, evidence and mis- or even disinformation, we will have failed to adequately prepare them for this brave new world that we all are entering.

Ethical Considerations: Bias and Fairness

AI systems are only as unbiased as the data used to train them. Concerns about bias and fairness arise when AI algorithms inadvertently perpetuate stereotypes or discriminate against certain groups.

To mitigate this risk, it is essential to ensure that the data used to train AI models is diverse, representative, and free from inherent biases. Additionally, ongoing monitoring and ethical reviews of AI systems should be conducted to identify and address potential issues related to fairness and bias.

So What Do We Do Now?

AI undoubtedly holds tremendous promise for education, revolutionizing learning experiences and empowering both educators and students. However, the concerns surrounding AI in education cannot and should not be ignored. Data privacy, equity issues, human connection, digital literacy, and ethical considerations all play crucial roles in shaping AI’s impact on education.

What if you’re thinking: “I’ll never use AI in my classroom, so why should I learn about it?” Consider this answer by Tyler Tarver, a former high school principal who now teaches educators about tech tool strategies: “Teachers need to learn how to use it because even if they never use it, their students will” (Kelly). That alone should be an adequate reason for us to learn about this new technology and embrace the future.

By addressing these concerns head-on and adopting a thoughtful and inclusive approach to AI integration, educators can harness the full potential of AI while ensuring that it aligns with the values and principles of education. As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of AI in education, it is essential to keep student well-being and academic growth at the forefront, making this transformative technology a force for positive change in the classroom.

Although there is a lot of uncertainty around how we best can utilize AI technology in the classroom—maximizing its potential while minimizing its threats—there are boundless opportunities for us to meet these challenges head on by being prepared.

Challenges abound, but as Mo Gawdat, the former chief business officer of Google [X] whose mission it was to “invent and launch ‘moonshot’ technologies that aim to make the world a radically better place,” encourages us: “The future, truly, is up to you!” (4).

The future, truly, is up to you!

Looping back to the conversation that my colleagues and I were having about AI which I alluded to at the beginning of this blog post: So what do you think we decided to do? We’re hosting a CCIS Webinar this week to address all of these issues and much, much more. We hope you will join us!

Disclaimer: This blog post may have been written with the help of ChatGPT, or maybe not!

Works Cited

• Gawdat, Mo. “Scary Smart — The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World.” Bluebird Books, Pan Macmillan, London, 2021.
• Kelly, Samantha. “Schools Are Teaching ChatGPT, So Students Aren’t Left Behind.” CNN Business, August 19, 2023.
• Kerry, Cameron F. “Protecting Privacy in an AI-driven World.” Brookings Institution, February 10, 2020
• Pappas, Stephanie. “Fighting Fake News in the Classroom.”
• Rouhiainen, Lasse. “How AI and Data Could Personalize Higher Education.” Harvard Business Review, October 14, 2019
• Suresh, Abhijit, et al. “Using AI to Promote Equitable Classroom Discussions.” Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, National Science Foundation, 2021