Week 3 Reflection: Ethical AI in Education

I think AI can be a great equalizer. Students who can't afford tutors could use AI for personalized help. But we need to make sure the technology is accessible to everyone, not just those with reliable internet and devices.

The bias in AI models really worries me. If an AI tutoring system gives different quality feedback based on the student's dialect or writing style, that's a real problem. We can't just adopt these tools without auditing them.

I teach at a school where many students are English language learners. AI translation and writing assistance tools have been genuinely life-changing for them. The ethical question isn't whether to use AI, but how to use it equitably.

I'm concerned about the digital divide getting worse. Schools that can afford AI tools will surge ahead while underfunded schools fall further behind. Policy needs to address this before we rush to adopt.

My biggest concern is academic integrity. If students can generate essays with AI, how do we know what they actually learned? We might need to rethink what 'assessment' even means.

We need to be careful about over-reliance. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills come from struggling with difficult problems. If AI just gives students the answer, we're shortcutting the learning process.

Maybe assessments should evolve to test what AI can't do -- oral defenses, collaborative projects, real-world problem-solving. If a student can get an A using AI alone, maybe the assessment was testing the wrong thing.

As someone studying to be a teacher, I worry about being replaced. But then I think -- no AI can build the relationships I build with my students. The human connection is what makes education transformative.

The teacher's role needs to shift from 'knowledge deliverer' to 'learning facilitator.' AI can deliver content, but guiding students through critical analysis, ethical reasoning, and creative thinking -- that's uniquely human.

We should be teaching students HOW to use AI responsibly rather than banning it. It's going to be part of their professional lives. Ignoring it doesn't prepare them for the real world.

I used ChatGPT to help me understand a concept last week and it actually explained it better than the textbook. I think AI could be an amazing supplemental resource if used thoughtfully.

I think the most exciting possibility is personalized learning paths. Imagine an AI that can identify exactly where a student is struggling and adapt the curriculum in real time. That's something even the best teacher can't do for 30 students simultaneously.

What about data privacy? These AI tools collect massive amounts of student interaction data. Who owns that data? Who can see it? Are we comfortable with tech companies having detailed profiles of how our students think and learn?

Has anyone considered the environmental cost? Training large language models requires enormous energy. As educators, shouldn't we also model environmental responsibility when deciding which technologies to adopt?

One thing is clear from this discussion: there are no simple answers. The ethical use of AI in education requires ongoing, thoughtful conversation -- exactly like the one we're having right now. That gives me hope.