Psychologists say that one of the greatest fears we all share is fear of the unknown. AI is one such fear we should all pay attention to.

When COVID spread, no one knew that five little letters could close schools, keep us indoors, and change our everyday lives without fear of getting sick. While scientists told us the pandemic was serious, no one could predict how COVID would change us all forever. Five letters created worldwide panic, took so many lives, and changed life as we know it today.

Today, two letters have the power to change how teachers teach and how students learn: It’s called AI. Short for “Artificial Intelligence,” the technology is spreading as quickly as COVID.

What Do Teachers Think?

While there is a lot we do know about what AI does, even the AI experts say there’s a lot that we don’t. But when we spoke to some teachers about AI, the unknown is already causing some anxiety among teachers at Creek, and across the country.

“I believe that it (AI) helps a student articulate innovative ways to produce ideas for programming,” said Mr. Cabera. “However, in terms of using Artificial Intelligence as your primary source to complete your assignment and other work that you may be assigned, then that’s when it becomes a problem.”

Cabera says he has experienced how AI can affect not only student performance, but how it can prevent students from thinking for themselves.

“I’ve been noticing some students aren’t reading at the level that they should be, or their writing skills have really depleted since AI has become so prevalent on our internet platforms. I think AI is not allowing our students to produce their own ideas because AI is doing it for them.”

Aritificial for all Of Us

You may not know a lot about ChatGPT, but AI is a technology you already use every day. AI predicts what videos you see on TikTok and even creates videos you watch. Without it, the things you buy on Amazon wouldn’t make it to your door; Siri wouldn’t know what to say; You couldn’t unlock your iPhone with your face; and If you drive and get lost, don’t look to Google Maps or navigation to get you home – Those things wouldn’t even exist.

AI exists everywhere but when most people talk about technology, ChatGPT comes to mind.

“I’ve been noticing that some students aren’t reading at the level that they should be, or their writing skills have really depleted since AI has become so prevalent on our internet platforms. I think AI is not allowing our students to produce their own ideas because AI is doing it for them.” – MR. CABERA

ChatGPT: Help Or Threat?

ChatGPT is an app that acts like a human that you can “speak” to for answers to questions. Think of it as sending text messages to the Internet. Most of us go online now and type a few words to search for things online. ChatGPT changes all that. You can have a human-like conversation with ChatGPT to search; similar to the way we “speak” to Siri or Alexa. But ChatGPT can do so much more. You can ask it to write things, find answers to questions without scrolling and reading. When you’re feeling lonely, you’ve got an artificial friend who listens and seems to know the right thing to say to cheer you up. And all of this happens in just seconds.

Watch the ABC News story below to see how a few teachers are adapting to AI in the classroom.

The Struggle Is Real. ChatGPT is the AI tool that has teachers worried.

Like anything else we use today, AI like ChatGPT can be used for good or bad purposes. Ms. Rucker says AI is good for teachers but agrees with the opinion of many educators like Cabera; the bad potential of AI for students is in its name – “Artificial.”

“It is helpful with certain lessons, such as creating rubrics for students and teachers, but when it is used verbatim, that’s when it is a problem and is considered as cheating.”

Asking AI to do your homework to save time can get you a zero. But you lose something more important – something that you can’t replace, says Mr. Wray.

“The pride that you get from doing your own work and completing it is taken away.”