“You may not use AI on any part of this assignment.” This sentence has become increasingly common in classrooms as teachers respond to the surge in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) among students, oftentimes in ways that violate academic integrity policies. However, instead of condemning AI use, we suggest that the Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) and TUHSD teachers as a whole adopt a balanced approach, promoting communication about the topic and encouraging an open dialogue about the technology. The reality we face is that students will use AI whether it’s prohibited or not. But by discussing it openly and establishing clear expectations for its usage, schools can guide students towards responsible use rather than suppressing it completely.

According to a Pew Research study, the percentage of teens ages 13 to 17 who reported using AI for schoolwork doubled from 2023 to 2024. By using AI chatbots, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT—one of the most stigmatized AI resources in schools—students can easily avoid the time and energy it takes to complete an assignment. Simply copying and pasting an assignment description can generate a complete response in only a few seconds. Yet, while AI usage among students is rapidly increasing, the district’s policy has not evolved at the same pace. Throughout the TUHSD Parent/Student Handbook, AI is only mentioned once, leaving students, parents, and educators with minimal guidance on how to navigate its use. This lack of clarity creates a gray area where standards around academic integrity, proper usage, and consequences remain undefined.  

The issue here is that students will still feel motivated to use AI despite its ban. The outright prohibition of something is often meaningless. For instance, the Eighteenth Amendment prohibited “the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within… the United States.” As much as the United States government attempted to enforce this, citizens still found ways to cut corners and manufacture alcohol, and the amendment was ultimately repealed in 1933 with the Twenty-First Amendment. In the same way, banning AI without discussion or guidance will only encourage students to use it in secret, making it harder to manage for administrators. 

Rather than banning AI use in its entirety, educators and administrators should create spaces for open dialogue so students can better understand the technology. TUHSD has already begun doing this for a host of topics in its Stop and Learns, where students learn about important topics in their community such as racism, antisemitism, etc. Stop and Learns could provide an excellent way in which administrators could foster open discussions about AI and educate students on how to use it responsibly.

According to OpenAI’s website, “as you chat with ChatGPT, you can ask it to remember something specific or let it pick up details itself. ChatGPT’s memory will get better the more you use it, and you’ll start to notice the improvements over time.” Much like a human teacher, ChatGPT can remember users’ qualities and tendencies, making it possible for the chatbot to give personalized feedback to students. For this reason, if a student’s regular instructor is busy, ChatGPT offers an efficient and flexible way for students to learn, even while alone. AI can even prove useful in a journalistic environment; it can save reporters energy by doing busy work such as grammar checking or even assist in brainstorming article ideas. 

With that said, clear limitations should be placed on AI to ensure it supports rather than replaces critical thinking and creativity. By clearly educating students about generative AI, teachers can help direct the use of the programs effectively. Rather than banning its use and creating a gray area where some students are using AI inappropriately or haphazardly, teachers should be forward about AI use, showing students how they can use it as an effective academic tool.  A study published in MDPI’s journal Societies found that “reliance on AI tools can reduce critical thinking by encouraging cognitive offloading,” the usage of external tools such as AI to delegate information and reduce individuals’ cognitive load. The study also found that younger participants in the study, ages 17 to 25, were most susceptible to cognitive offloading and AI usage compared to older participants. Additionally, frequent usage of AI tools can lead to increased trust in the technology, potentially creating a dangerous reliance on AI for decision-making purposes, something it was not specifically designed for. This makes it even more crucial for TUHSD to take initiative and establish clear, forward-looking guidelines to help students to better understand and engage with AI as a tool rather than a replacement of their skills.

The sooner schools become comfortable talking about and teaching with AI, the sooner students will be able to use such tools to enhance their learning and prepare for an AI-driven workforce. Once that conversation begins, they’ll be able to incorporate AI into curricula, supplemented by clear guidelines and restrictions, and students will be better equipped to navigate a rapidly evolving digital world. By being open and talking honestly about AI, students will be prepared for new technological advancements and thrive in an environment increasingly dominated by AI.