Impacts Of AI Usage In Princeton High School Discussed

PRINCETON, NJ — The future is here, and the use of AI at Princeton High School has become a common occurrence.

The Princeton Board of Education recently discussed the usage at the high school and ways to educate students on its impact.

"There is still an overwhelming amount of students using AI for every assignment. Unfortunately, I can not walk down the hallway without overhearing people say they are just going to ask Chat for homework answers or test prep for writing help," said Student Representative Ash Mieman. "And a lot of students are saying even though they know it's bad to use AI they feel they have to because they need to keep up with everyone else who is using it."

Mieman suggested the school district educate students on the impacts of AI to the environment and also education.

"Because AI isn’t going away and it's still going to be a part of our lives after high school, I think we need to give students a proper understanding of what AI is," said Mieman. "And we should be encouraging teachers to start those conversations in the classroom and let students make their own decision if they want to use it and how they can incorporate it into their work without it becoming detrimental to their learning."

Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Kimberly Tew said teachers are aware of the AI usage in the district and often use AI checkers to check homework and assignments for AI usage.

"I think the teachers are trying to catch up as best as they can," said Tew of AI.

Tew said the plan is to have class meetings about AI to talk to students about the benefits and also the negative impacts.

"We want you to do the thinking for yourselves because sooner or later they are going to have to know what’s real and what’s not. And if you don't have the foundational understanding... you are not going to think critically," said Tew.

Tew also suggested exposing students to the impacts of AI through peer groups of the freshman academy.

Mieman, who is a peer group leader, said they are already working on writing an AI outreach plan for freshman students.

Princeton Schools Superintendent Michael LaSusa noted that there have already been a lot of conversations as a district "about screen use, about cell phones, about AI. A lot of this stuff is wrapped together, and there aren’t necessarily any easy answers except that I don't think homework can be graded any longer with any fidelity."

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