By Jackson Colo 

Editor-in-Chief

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is showing up in classrooms everywhere, and we’re treating it like a harmless shortcut instead of the problem it really is. The truth is that AI makes it easier than ever for students to skip the actual learning and turn in work that isn’t theirs. When a program can write your essay or solve your homework in seconds, it chips away at the honesty and effort that school is supposed to be built upon. If we keep pretending this isn’t an issue, we risk creating classrooms where authenticity fades, accountability disappears, and real learning takes the hit.

    Would you believe me if I told you the paragraph above was written by AI? Because it was. It was almost too good to be true. AI makes things easy—too easy. Insert a simple prompt, and an essay can be written in a second; insert a photo of an assignment, and hours of homework are done even faster. A pro-AI stance will argue that technology like this is a product of the future, advancing our society to places that at times seemed unimaginable. While I recognize the efficiency AI enables, I believe it is the very thing promoting dishonesty in the classroom and the workplace as a whole. 

    AI is becoming too reliable. It’s tempting to open ChatGPT in another tab when you don’t know how to start a paper, or you simply missed an in-class concept and want to check your knowledge. However, this behavior occurs far too frequently and should be taken more seriously at face value—cheating.

    I worry that the deception AI warrants doesn’t stop in high school. It continues through college and eventually, like any other unbreakable habit, will stay with you. As it becomes embedded into your daily routine, coupled with other daily tasks, AI usage becomes another everyday norm. 

    Throughout your education, if you continuously put your name on work created by AI, you promote reliance rather than concrete learning, hurting yourself in the long-term career gain. More importantly, you skip failure, the most essential part of the learning process, where your weaknesses are located. 

    It is undeniable that AI is in our future, but it is essential that we take the time to assess the risks associated with AI dependency. Imagine this: your doctors, lawyers, and teachers are all dependent upon AI. Is that a world you want to live in? The next time you open ChatGPT, I want you to question whether the ease is truly worth the hit on your learning.