While attending the Relationships Matter - 4th MNwest CEO Forum and Entrepreneur Summit, students, teachers, and administrators spoke on artificial intelligence (AI) sharing their thoughts and experiences regarding classroom applications. The key takeaway from these sessions was that oftentimes, the conversation around AI in the classroom includes the word “cheating”, and these two should avoid going hand in hand.

Artificial Intelligence Panel Discussion
Those participating in the artificial intelligence (AI) discussion were an administrator, principal, and two students. The students shared that they use AI to study and provide them ideas. The principal and administrator shared that in their experience students are using it as a constructive learning tool. The consensus amongst all of the panelists is that AI is not going away.

The most logical and attainable solution is to support students in using AI. Let’s help them understand how to evaluate and interpret the information. Students need to learn how to review the information found using AI and credit its validity and its use in the classroom. Relationships still matter! If done right, AI can increase the momentum of what used to be done traditionally.

Cheating is Not New
During the panel discussion, a common fact that kept coming to the table is that cheating is not new. Students have been cheating since the time of Britannica Encyclopedias, the Internet and now with artificial intelligence (AI). Rather than immediately deciding AI is negative, perhaps we need to take another look at how it can be positive.

Positive Impacts of Artificial Intelligence
The students from the panel spoke regarding AI’s ability to help study and generate ideas. Admins confirmed experiences of students using AI as a constructive learning tool. When asked about how AI has impacted their classroom, educators shared that it has been a powerful tool in lesson plan development and providing ideas for improvement of current plans. One educator shared that it is decreasing the hours he has to put into planning and increasing the hours he has to be more creative and innovative in the classroom.

Artificial intelligence is the new technology of today; just like the internet once was and even the encyclopedia. If we embrace its positive impacts on learning, who knows what great things we will see from our students? As we redefine cheating and start embracing AI, remember, relationships will always matter.