Key Takeaways:
- A recent survey found 85 percent of students used AI in schools within the last year.
- Some of the benefits for it being allowed include a more personalized learning experience and increased access to information.
- AI makes cheating and plagiarism easier if institutions don’t set clear policies about its use.
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance, educators face a key question: should AI be used in schools?
It’s a difficult one to answer.
How can a set of technologies that enable computers and machines to simulate human learning, comprehension, and problem solving support students without compromising the skills they need to develop themselves, such as thinking critically?
Dr. Diana Rice, vice president of academic affairs at Portage Learning, and Dr. Jeff Cole, the accredited institution’s dean of faculty, believe AI can – and should – play a role in higher education, but only with clear rules and careful oversight.
Drawing on their insights, this blog explores the benefits and risks of learners and professors incorporating artificial intelligence and how colleges can approach the technology responsibly.
How Is AI Being Used in Schools?
Students use AI in ways that enhance their learning – and raise questions about academic integrity, including to:
- Turn their notes into study materials, such as flashcards and practice quizzes
- Get input on paper outlines to identify gaps in their arguments
- Generate full assignments and submit them as their own work
Among faculty, artificial intelligence often serves as a tool to streamline their work rather than do it for them. They incorporate the technology to:
- Brainstorm lesson examples more relevant to today’s learners
- Draft communications, such as emails to students
- Analyze course evaluations and identify areas in which the content could be improved
Benefits of Using AI in Schools
Dr. Rice chuckles when recalling the ways in which she sees learners put AI to work.
Not because of anything particularly problematic, but because their approaches often showcase genuine creativity.
“We came across one who took her anatomy and physiology notes, put it into ChatGPT and said, ‘Make this a podcast so I can listen to it while driving my kids,’” she explains.
The ability to personalize the learning experience may be one of the biggest benefits of using artificial intelligence in schools. It can also help in the following ways.
Providing immediate feedback and continuous insights
AI offers instantaneous input, allowing you to improve assignments before turning them in and, in turn, enhancing your understanding of a topic.
“In a humanities class, I once told students they could use AI if they acknowledged it and within the parameters I gave them, which was to feed their introductory paragraph into AI and see if it could identify their thesis,” Dr. Cole says. “Only two took me up on it, which I was shocked by because I thought more would. But for those who did, I think they really benefited from it.”
Students can use the technology to refine their points through an ongoing feedback loop, asking follow-up questions and exploring an idea as much as needed — without the time or patience constraints that can limit debate with a classmate.
Automating administrative tasks
Artificial intelligence reduces the work required by professors on the front end. Rather than creating worksheets or proofreading essays, you can outsource those responsibilities to an AI-powered tool and spend more time teaching.
Affording energy toward what you do best fosters a productive and engaging learning environment.
Increasing access to information
When you ask an artificial intelligence platform for information about a particular subject, it spits out a seemingly endless stream of content.
You don’t need to sift through countless webpages to find relevant sources, making it easier to quickly research a topic and explore different perspectives – although you should always verify the accuracy of what AI provides.
Alternatively, it can make higher education more inclusive to those with diverse backgrounds and abilities.
For example, language translation features might assist international learners with a better understanding of a lesson.
Risks of Using AI in Schools
Artificial intelligence makes it easier for students to cheat or plagiarize. Educators cite those risks as the top reasons why they oppose incorporating it into their classrooms.
Some platforms will complete an exam or write a paper for learners, undermining the education they receive.
Professors also raise questions about the following.
Bias in AI algorithms
Research indicates artificial intelligence tools produce slanted results that reflect human biases.
For example, a recently published study found that when asked to create a resume for a hypothetical female candidate, ChatGPT consistently portrayed them as younger and less experienced than male counterparts.
Researchers then prompted the platform to rate the candidates, and it consistently gave higher scores to older men, even when they held the same qualifications as a woman job seeker.
Privacy and security concerns
AI systems often require large amounts of data to function properly.
Federal law mandates institutions to protect a student’s personally identifiable information contained in academic records, and many people worry whether the platforms do enough to shield it from hackers or those not authorized to access it.
Implementation costs
If a college or university wants to adopt an artificial intelligence technology, it’ll cost them.
Between the initial investment and ongoing maintenance, significant monetary resources will need to be allocated, which can be a challenge.
Learners might be able to get away with using the free version of a platform, but if they want to do some of the more advanced tasks, it’ll likely require a subscription.
Should Students Be Allowed to Use AI?
A July 2025 survey found 85 percent of students used AI in their coursework within the last year.
Whether they embrace it or not, Dr. Cole thinks educators shouldn’t pretend artificial intelligence doesn’t exist.
“I was listening to a podcast, and somebody asked the question, ‘Is it possible to just turn it off?’” he explains. “The answer is yes, but with an arrival technology like this, that’s not going to happen, so now we need to ask, ‘What are we going to do with it?’”
“When you say, ‘Let’s just ignore this, period,’ that doesn’t do anybody any good.”
At Portage Learning, and across other institutions, each department decides if learners can incorporate AI – and how.
Dr. Rice anticipates that approach will continue as the technology evolves, pointing to the fierce independence within academia. She also expects professional organizations to develop their own “rules of engagement” that provide guidance on how people should use AI within their respective discipline.
“For example, I wrote religiously in APA Style for years because I’m a psychologist,” Dr. Rice states. “APA Style has changed to adapt to different kinds of information, so, my guess is that there will soon be, if there’s not already, an addendum of how to cite ChatGPT logs as one of your references. When that happens, it’ll then become an accepted rule and people can use it in that certain way.”
How Can Students Use AI Responsibly in School?
To use artificial intelligence responsibly, students should treat it as a tool that complements their learning – not replaces it.
“I think what we want students to do with AI is to offload the things that they don’t need to learn to do,” Dr. Cole says. “Because what we, as educators, want to actually do is teach them to write, teach them to think, teach them to reason. AI can’t do that for them.”
He and Dr. Rice list learners asking the technology to create study materials from their notes and to point out holes in a paper’s argument as ways to do that.
They should also be able to recognize the risks surrounding data privacy and algorithm bias.
“We want to see learning,” Dr. Cole adds. “Did you actually learn from the process, and if so, then I’m good with that. But, if you just took the suggestions artificial intelligence gave you and didn’t think about it, then I have a problem with that.”
How Can Schools Use AI Responsibly?
For colleges and universities, ethical AI use starts with teaching students how to use the technology in an appropriate way.
Schools should establish transparent policies, so learners understand what their professors expect of them when it comes to artificial intelligence.
“They need to learn some caution,” Dr. Rice explains.
“I once assigned students to come up with a psychology topic they wanted to study then tell ChatGPT to write a three-page paper on it. They couldn’t give the platform sources, and it was their responsibility to go through and edit what AI wrote. Was it fact? Is this conjecture? Or is it totally off base? So they’re actually doing some critical reflection because I think Dr. Cole is right — you have to not offload the thinking.”
Using AI responsibly as an institution also entails determining how it could better support learners.
“We’re exploring whether we should have tools embedded into our courses that do some of the things we’ve mentioned, such as type your notes here and then we’ll build you flashcards or press this button to hear a podcast,” Dr. Rice states. “Portage Learning wants to enhance the learning experience not just in the content, but in what we offer students too.”
Imagining the Future of AI in Education
Advances in artificial intelligence raise questions for both students and faculty. Chief among them: whether or not to use it in school.
But when you look back – in some cases hundreds of years – you realize those in education always adapt to new tools and methods.
In the early 1800s, teachers replaced individual student slates with the chalkboard. The handheld calculator created worries in the 1970s that people would no longer be able to solve problems, but they found a way.
And let us not forget how personal computers and the Internet transformed learning starting in the 2000s.
AI just happens to be the next challenge for everyone to tackle together.
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