Navigating AI in Education: Voices from Students
The Challenge of Learning in a Tech-Driven Environment
For Christianna Thomas, a senior at Heights High School in Texas, an artificial intelligence policy once hampered her educational pursuits. As part of the International Baccalaureate program, Thomas encountered a unique challenge: her school employed an AI detector for plagiarism checks. “We use AI to check for other types of AI,” she explains, underscoring the dual role of technology as both helper and hindrance.
However, AI at her school does more than check for plagiarism; it also filters information. While researching the education system in Communist Cuba during the Cold War for a history project, Thomas found herself blocked from accessing essential materials. Her school’s web filter prevented her from accessing information, both on her school computer and her personal laptop.
The Double-Edged Sword of AI in Schools
Schools utilize AI for web filtering in an effort to keep students safe. Yet, some students feel this technology can be excessive, restricting access to valuable resources. Students report that critical tools are often caught in the net of stringent filtering. For instance, The Trevor Project, which provides a hotline for suicidal teens, sometimes faces bans due to its chat feature. Likewise, JSTOR, a database of scholarly articles, can be barred because of explicit content, and The Internet Archive, a well-known resource for free information, often falls victim to such bans as well.
For Thomas, the AI deployment meant she was unable to delve into a topic that fascinated her. Forced to change her project focus, she experienced firsthand the limitations of technology in education.
Student Voices in the AI Debate
While educator concerns about AI are frequently discussed, students have their own worries about the implications of artificial intelligence on their learning. As state policies provide guidance on AI in schools, some argue that they overlook a significant civil rights concern: police surveillance of students. In a climate where students fear government actions targeting immigration and free speech, the enhancement of surveillance via AI raises alarms about increased police interactions.
The Unblinking Eye
Many schools have adopted AI tools that monitor students’ online activities, flagging behaviors that may require adult intervention. Investigations suggest that such surveillance can be “heavy-handed,” with numerous edtech companies tracking students both during school and after hours.
The opaque nature of data collection raises further concerns. The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University recently sued the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District in Texas after the district refused to disclose how it utilizes information gathered through student surveillance.
Tragically, some students have faced severe consequences due to misinterpretations of their online interactions. Recently, a 13-year-old in Tennessee was strip-searched after a joke in her private chat triggered the school’s monitoring system, which uses AI to detect threats.
Pushback Against Excessive Surveillance
Concerned students are starting to take a stand. Christianna Thomas, for example, works with a nonprofit called Students Engaged in Advancing Texas. The organization trains students to mobilize around issues like book bans and interactions with immigration enforcement.
Thomas collaborates with peers to address web filtering practices, which often lack transparency. Upon inquiring about a list of banned websites, the IT staff at a nearby school informed her that maintaining such a list is “physically impossible.” This ambiguity leaves students questioning whether human oversight exists in these decisions.
Advocating for Student Rights
In addition to organizing campaigns around technology issues, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas has actively lobbied for legislation, such as Texas House Bill 1773, aimed at establishing nonvoting student trustee positions on school boards. The group has also successfully challenged laws that limited student access to social media platforms, asserting that these rules infringed on their freedom of speech.
Thomas has participated in efforts surrounding this bill as well as in the creation of a proposed “Student Bill of Rights,” which seeks to guarantee freedom of expression and agency in educational decisions.
Addressing AI in the Classroom
Deeksha Vaidyanathan, former leader of Encode’s California chapter, engaged in similar advocacy before graduating high school. Her interest in ethical AI began during a debate tournament and blossomed into a commitment to ensuring responsible AI use in education.
At Dublin High School, Vaidyanathan witnessed inconsistent policies regarding AI use among teachers. Collaborating with her school district’s chief technology officer, she helped draft a policy that governs AI usage across classrooms, ultimately passing a groundbreaking regulation that serves as a model for other districts.
The Dangers of Deepfakes
However, as promising as these advancements are, they come with challenges. Young girls across the country are increasingly targeted by AI-generated deepfakes, which can inflict severe emotional trauma. These so-called “nudify” apps can take a single image and create convincingly inappropriate fakes.
Surveys indicate that many students have experienced harassment stemming from deepfakes, yet schools are often ill-equipped to address these issues effectively. The Center for Democracy & Technology recently highlighted the lack of guidance from state authorities regarding how schools should manage AI-related complications.
The Way Forward
According to Suchir Paruchuri, a rising senior leading the Texas chapter of Encode, AI should serve to empower rather than control. He emphasizes the importance of including student voices in legislation regarding data privacy and AI regulation.
His chapter of Encode is currently focused on advocating for policies to combat non-consensual deepfake creation. They aim to persuade the Texas State Legislature to consider student perspectives in policymaking.
In summary, the primary goal of these efforts is to ensure AI is used in ways that respect individual rights, dignity, and vulnerability, paving the way for a more inclusive educational environment.
Questions and Answers
1. What challenges did Christianna Thomas face while researching for her project?
Thomas struggled to access necessary materials on Communist Cuba due to her school’s AI filtering system, which blocked her from sites that contained vital information.
2. What role does AI play in schools according to the article?
AI is utilized for both web filtering to protect students and plagiarism detection, but it can also restrict access to valuable resources and raise concerns about privacy and surveillance.
3. How are students responding to AI surveillance in schools?
Students are organizing and advocating for their rights, seeking more transparent policies and increased representation in decision-making processes regarding technology usage.
4. What is the Student Bill of Rights mentioned in the article?
It aims to guarantee freedom of expression, support for health and well-being, and student agency in educational decisions, empowering students in the policymaking process.
5. What are some ethical concerns with AI technology in schools?
Key concerns include potential misuse leading to false accusations, increased surveillance, and the harmful effects of deepfakes, particularly targeting vulnerable groups like young girls.
