As students return to pick up the stress of schoolwork this year, teachers too pick up another source of stress: the return of Artificial Intelligence to the classroom. Nearly two years have passed since ChatGPT-3 was officially launched, and with it vast new opportunities for learning, a wholly different method of plagiarism, and a no-nonsense policy in response. So what’s changed since then? Has the AI policy at King’s been changed at all? And how might AI be used in the future?
The first official AI policy was featured uniformly in each 2023-24 syllabus. This policy was deliberately restrictive, stating that “over-reliance on AI for work, failure to correctly cite AI, using AI when expressly forbidden by teachers, and using AI to avoid critical thinking, problem solving, reading, or analysis will be considered violations of our academic code of conduct.” According to Systematic Theology & Philosophy teacher Mr. McConnaughey, whose Exegetical Paper project has fallen on the forefront of AI exploitation, this policy came from a desire to take time to understand the uses before deciding on its integration, “Before it felt like we were trying to understand how to integrate it, so we were more fearful and restrictive.”
The effectiveness of this policy in stopping AI plagiarism seemed to have varied. According to Mr. McConnaughey, “There were at least five students that used it to write an entire paper. There were other suspects, but evidence was less clear.” He continued “Most people don’t even cite use of AI, seemingly due to them thinking it’s frowned upon.” The continued quiet use of AI, combined with the designated temporary status of the previous policy, may explain the drastic change which the AI section of each syllabus has taken this fall.
While the 2024-25 syllabi maintain a restrictive prohibition on AI reliance, it now features specific examples of permitted and unacceptable AI use, with specific note given to disclosing AI use with teachers. According to Mrs. Zwier, whose English classes have taken a more experimental approach to AI, this policy “serves to tell students that we know about [AI] and gives them specific ways to use as a tool instead of something to hide.” The future of AI use and its effects on education remain to be seen, but one thing seems clear: it is here to stay. Should you choose to use any AI in your schoolwork, make sure to discuss it with your teacher and remember that the primary goal of any tool’s use should be your own education.