LIFE

Back in the dark ages (you know, when your parents were in school), kids had to spend hours in the library using books as resources for their papers and reports. Flash forward to your older cousin's era—everyone had the internet to help with assignments. And now, for a lot of girls, using generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and Gemini (Google's version of ChatGPT) is the newest way to hack homework.

And why wouldn't we use it? Instead of spending precious time flipping through textbooks or searching for terms online, we can simply ask AI a question and get answers, images, videos and even an outline for a specific topic.

But with this helpful tool comes a heaping load of controversy and questions: Should we really be relying on generative AI? Is it impacting how we learn? And then there's the biggest debate of them all: Is using AI cheating?

Is AI A-OK to use in school?

While some of your teachers may shudder at the mere mention of AI in the classroom, here's the truth: It can be really helpful...as long as you're using it the right way.

This may seem obvious, but here's what you shouldn't do: Lift every word the chatbot spits out and turn it in as your work. Yep, that's plagiarism—and that's a big no-no. (Besides, savvy teachers have their own tools to detect whether you've used AI, so don't even think about trying to sneak it by them.)

But if you're using AI as a way to stay organized, to assist with research or to brainstorm for an essay? Most teachers don't have a problem with that (and some even use AI in the classroom themselves).

Right now, the majority of school districts in the U.S. don't have any rules prohibiting the use of AI among students, according to an EdWeek Research Center survey. (Some do, however, so check your school's policy before you dive in.)

"I use AI to help me organize the notes I take during class," says Ariya C., 16. "I copy and paste my notes into ChatGPT, which smooths them out and even makes an outline for me. It's a great hack if you need a quick refresher before a test."

And streamlining the studying process just might be one of the biggest benefits of AI: In a recent poll by the education platform Brainly, 76% of high schoolers said AI could decrease exam-related stress, while 73% said it could boost their confidence in class.

Still, you have to be mindful when it comes to AI. Aside from plagiarism both by the user *and* the bots, there are serious concerns around privacy (just like on other apps, personal info and user habits could be mishandled), accuracy (ChatGPT has been cited for faulty info) and inclusivity (even developers admit it's hard to train AI to avoid perpetuating racial and cultural biases).

The bottom line? While schools figure out the best way to approach tech as part of the learning process, use AI as a supplement—but never as a stand-in for yourself. Which brings us to...

But wait, am I still learning?

The key to being smart about AI is making sure you're using it in a way where you're better absorbing the concepts, not taking shortcuts. There's a difference between asking ChatGPT to show you the steps for solving X versus asking it to do your math homework for you. The same goes for using AI to brainstorm possible topics for your English essay versus having it write the whole thing.

Consider this example: For your science homework, you have to explain the difference between speed, velocity and acceleration. Maybe you feel completely confused by the topic, so you have ChatGPT answer the homework Q's for you. You turn it in...and end up getting a 100.

But later, the same question pops up on an exam and you miss it—because you never actually learned the difference. Then that Q rears its head yet again on a standardized test—and you miss it a second time.

"Last fall, I kept using AI to calculate probability for me on my math homework," admits Scarlett L., 17. "I was so upset when I got a bunch of probability questions on the SAT later that year, and I had no clue how to solve them."

That's why it's still important to think for yourself. "More information is not more knowledge," says Dr. Laura DeNardis, director of the Center for Digital Ethics at Georgetown University. "If you're using an app to do the work for you, that's not knowledge. In order to succeed, you need to actually learn."

Learning still counts

So how do you find that sweet spot where you're tapping into gen AI but still absorbing all the important info? To start, just use it as a jumping-off point. Say you have a science fair coming up, but you have no clue what to do for your experiment. You can ask Gemini to come up with a list of ideas as a way to get your wheels turning.

AI can also act as a personal study buddy. If you are having trouble understanding something in class (like how a Punnett square works or how to multiply fractions), you can ask AI to explain it to you. It's the next best thing to having your teacher in the room (and way more affordable than a pricey tutor).

And as you utilize AI more and more, the machine learning algorithms will personalize what you see to help you absorb the material more easily. You're a visual learner? You'll get more graphics and animation. Always get a lot out of lectures? Expect more audio content.

You can also lean into AI to tidy up your work before you turn it in. A platform like Grammarly catches syntax and spelling mistakes while offering recommendations for how to streamline your sentences. And if you pay close attention to the reasons why the bot suggests certain changes, you may pick up on how to write smarter paragraphs on your own.

The new frontier

The debate over AI in the classroom will no doubt continue, but generative AI is not going anywhere. Matter of fact, experts say that bots will be used in just about every future workplace, so knowing how to use them in a smart way is a skill you can bring to future jobs.

But even as schools formulate their own policies and more students implement AI in their learning, remember what's more important than any tech tool: your brain. And learning to use it is still the most valuable lesson there is.

Hey, girl! Just wanted to let you know that this story originally ran in our August/September 2024 issue. Want more? Read the print mag for free *today* when you click HERE.

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by Emily Laurence | 9/9/2024