If you walk into the CTL, chances are you will always see at least one screen showing the ChatGPT search bar. Like it or not, AI is here, and isn’t going away.

Windward’s current academic integrity policy states that the use of unauthorized technology, such as generative AI and ChatGPT, is expressly prohibited. However, Windward’s short excerpt on its AI policy does not take into account the wide-spread use and nuance of using AI models in school.

For that reason, Windward faculty has formed a committee called the AI Task Force to specify permitted and forbidden uses of artificial intelligence in students’ work. 

“Next year, we will have a set of guidelines that all classes will have for different types of use of AI for assignments,” said Jim B, Senior Director of Innovation and Technology. Jim B. and Jenn Z. co-lead the Windward AI Task Force.

While AI can be used to replace student work and effort, it can also be used as a study tool, a virtual tutor, or to provide helpful feedback.

Dahlia M., Associate Director of the Collegiate Division, history teacher, and member of the AI Task Force, emphasized the importance of “losing the fear of AI.”

The Benefits of Using AI in School

“I know some students use AI almost exclusively for studying,” said Colin R., AP biology and biological engineering teacher. “I’m fine with that. As long as students are getting accurate information in a way that they find helpful and digestible, I think it’s a great use of the technology.”

Dahlia M. also sees helpful ways that students could implement artificial intelligence technology into their studying. 

“You could see what a mediocre or bad essay would look like and use that as a reference point to do better.” Dahlia continued, “So in that case, I might encourage students to see how AI answers and how they can improve upon it because students always have the knowledge.”

Dahlia also noted that students should be able to outperform AI in most instances.

Dahlia added, “They’re sitting in the class. They will answer questions far better than a bot will answer.”

AI’s Role in Windward’s Future

“I think that it’s just going to change our roles,” said Colin R. 

“I remember when I was a kid,” he explained, “my grandmother got really upset with me when she found out we were using calculators in math class. She thought that being able to do mental math was really, really important, and she was worried about my ability to balance a checkbook if I didn’t learn these skills that she had learned. I went on to do advanced math. I don’t think that lacking some of the skills that she had held me back, and if anything, it just opened up different opportunities.”

Colin continued by saying that the skills needed for the future will change, so even if AI makes people “lack certain skills,” those skills won’t be needed. Instead, Colin suggested that AI will allow people to have more time for advanced and creative thinking.

Jim B. shared similar optimistic views about the future of artificial intelligence. “I feel very strongly that AI will be an accelerator. I don’t feel like it’s going to replace a ton of jobs. I think what it will do is it will help you do whatever the job is, faster, better, more efficient.”

Dahlia M. also expressed a hopeful view for the future of AI. “The calculator didn’t make math go away, right? People still had to do math.”

Potential Downsides of AI

While many Windward teachers are excited about the potential uses of AI in the classroom, they also caution against AI dependence.

Dahlia addressed potential harmful downsides. “I think what a person has to be wary of is to not let the calculator inhibit their learning, to see the calculator as a tool, to see AI as a tool, but still be very serious about acquiring the skills.”

While some teachers look at AI as an opportunity for advancements, others fear that it will take too much out of the learning and work process. 

Jake W., an English teacher and the English Department Chair, voiced worries for the future of AI in school. “I’m worried how this will corrupt learning.”

AI vs. Student Voice

Jake W. continued, “I’m not worried about how this will impact writing because I think ultimately, we’ll get to a point where whatever AI produces, we’ll be able to acknowledge, that’s not writing,” Jake said. “That is an AI production versus a student or an author production.”

Dahlia expanded, “As human beings, being able to develop our voice and positions on things is important, and then consider how we could use AI as a tool.”

“I think our reaction now is to sort of preserve the sanctity of writing and developing your voice,” said Jake.

Jake noted the important distinction between writing to show your thinking and writing as a product for consumption.

Jake said, “Your teachers don’t assign essays because the world needs more essays. They assign essays because it’s a vehicle to show your thinking and understanding.”

This addresses an important risk with regard to the rise of AI in the future. Educators want students to learn on their own and be able to do critical thinking without the assistance of large language models.

Katie T., Visual and Media Arts Teacher and Chair, expressed her concerns for the disappearance of unique ideas separate from AI, specifically in the art creation process.

“If you are a serious art student and you want to apply to art school, the main thing they’re looking for is your authentic voice,” said Katie. “You don’t want your authentic voice to look like everybody else’s voice, because you’re all using the same program.”

Katie added that ideas are best if they come from “personal and lived experiences” to create artwork because it’s developing your “artistic voice.”

Windward’s AI Task Force hopes to provide clarity on the use of the new technology to the community. Due to these concerns over the place of AI in school, the AI Task Force is working on “making it easily identifiable to students” when AI is allowed and when it isn’t.

Ultimately, It’s a Useful Tool

Overall, most teachers agree that the correct way to interact with AI in school is “using it as a supplement to their knowledge, rather than a replacement for the basics.” 

Colin R. identified that the response to AI coincides with a greater pattern of attitudes toward new technologies.

“I think whenever you have a new tool, you’ll see young people seeing the advantages of it in an appropriate and inappropriate way almost right away,” he said. “And when you see older people who are used to a different system, they’re more clued-in to the negatives.”

How is AI currently being used in the world?

AI is clearly on the rise.

Most recently, DeepSeek AI, a Chinese artificial intelligence company, has revolutionized AI as it uses significantly less computing power and cost compared to other AI models. However, due to concerns about security risks, the US government is making efforts to curb China’s influence in artificial intelligence.

Meta announced in January of 2025 their plans to invest between $60 billion and $65 billion this year to push its AI technology. Competition between AI companies is rampant.

With the rise of AI, schools across the country are responding to this new technology. And like Windward, other schools are discussing how to incorporate AI into their operations.

In October, the parents of a Boston high school student argued in federal court that their son was unfairly punished for using artificial intelligence on a history project. Lawyers for the parents noted that his punishment was unfair because there were larger unaddressed questions about the role of AI in schools.

In higher education, there seems to be universities on both sides of the spectrum of navigating AI in academia.

At California State University, the university has partnered with OpenAI to create an education-specific version of its chatbot for its students. The rollout of this new AI will cover 23 campuses and 500,000 students and faculty, allowing students to access personalized tutoring and study guides, while the faculty can use it for administrative tasks.

By contrast, Sciences Po in Paris, the University of Hong Kong, and Bangalore’s RV University have completely banned the use of ChatGPT at their schools to maintain academic integrity.

Most universities, however, such as Cornell University, Columbia University, Harvard College, and Vanderbilt University, are letting professors decide the extent to which artificial intelligence tools will be allowed in their classrooms.

Overall, much remains unknown for AI’s future in schools as the technology continues to evolve and attitudes continue to shift.