Research published by College Board, a nonprofit preparing students for college, on Oct. 6, 2025, found that 84% of high school students in the United States used generative artificial intelligence (AI) to help with their schoolwork. Generative AI is capable of replicating existing patterns to produce seemingly original content. Through platforms like ChatGPT, users can create essays and lesson plans in seconds. AI’s increasing popularity and lack of existing regulation make its future involvement in education difficult to predict, and pose questions around what learning truly looks like.
Jennifer Tatone, who teaches AP Seminar and College Writing and Literature at Franklin, says she has easily detected AI writing in a couple of essays this year. However, she feels that, as “students are figuring out how to blend their own writing with writing generated by AI,” the distinction will become increasingly difficult to recognize. In order to conceal the use of AI, students may use a mixture of AI and their own wording, or further prompt the AI tool to humanize the writing.
AI detectors have proven to be a challenge for both educators and students, often giving inaccurate readings. “Tools that are being used to be an AI checker have so much bias built into them, particularly for our multilingual learners, as well as our students who are already fairly adept [at] navigating and using academic language,” says Kristin Moon, the PPS teacher professional learning director, who is working to establish PPS’s AI guidelines. The detectors rely on pattern recognition to spot AI. However, these hints can be misleading, as things like three-item lists or em-dashes that may indicate AI are also common in human writing. Additionally, a 2023 study at Stanford University found that AI detectors were significantly more likely to mistakenly identify the original work of non-native English speakers as AI. While these detectors may be helpful flags, to avoid biased or unfair accusations, it’s important to remember that they are still capable of error.
The Department of Education has released documents in the past few years outlining suggested AI protocols for school districts to reference. Additionally, Moon and other PPS staff are currently drafting AI guidelines to add to the existing Acceptable Use Policy that covers existing technology use regulations related to phones, tablets, and Chromebooks. They are also working on a separate AI guidebook that will likely be released later in the 2025-26 school year, and hope to eventually create a district-wide policy around AI. “This isn’t to give teachers more ammunition to catch their students doing something,” says Russell Adamson, senior director of technology at the PPS Office of Technology and Information Services. Rather, he explains, the guidelines are designed to make sure students are “using the tool[s] in a really positive way to support the learning they were already doing.”
The Office of Technology and Information Services recently sent out a survey on AI use for students to complete. “Having the student input enables the students to have a voice in not only the education they’re getting, which is important because they can’t vote, but also how they’re able to use the tools, because they know what works for them” says Nora Isles, a senior at Grant High School who is working with the District Student Council Outreach Committee to create posters that display AI guidelines to students.
While the results of the recent survey have not yet been released, people have expressed mixed opinions on what and when AI use is acceptable. “I think it’s actually extremely useful and can be overlooked as a tool,” says Isles. “If one doesn’t have the resources to go out and get a tutor, and you could use AI, and it could do basically the same thing.” Oregon State Representative Rob Nosse, who recently supported Oregon Senate Bill 1546 implementing AI chatbot regulations to protect youth mental health, agrees: “It could suggest edits, and while that might border [on] writing the paper for you, it would also help you by showing you where your writing needs to be better.”
However, this type of assistance has potentially harmful consequences. “If you’re using AI to write essays and do all this work for you, your critical thinking skills aren’t as great,” says Melissa Lim, PPS Learning Technologies program administrator, who is working with Moon on AI guidelines. A loss of critical thinking skills is a common argument brought up, with some worrying that AI removes the need for people to come up with and evaluate their own ideas.
Apart from the direct use of AI chatbots, the data centers that power these tools have raised concerns of environmental harm. Kat Davis, the PPS climate justice advisor, works to inform AI product purchases at PPS by evaluating their environmental impact. Data centers located in Oregon have already led to water and energy depletion, and Davis says this effect is being considered when creating the AI guidebook. “I think it is important not to get into the blame and shame of individual behaviors and choices, but instead help people to understand the impacts and provide pathways to less harmful opportunities so they can make informed decisions,” says Davis.
To encourage greater discussion of expectations around AI, some teachers are considering including more specific content around AI literacy in their curricula. “It’s been my dream to teach this [type of] course for many years,” says Tatone. She tries to incorporate these kinds of discussions into her regular classes. “I think it is a huge oversight … as a school district to not be … offering students direct support in thinking about how they want to live with the technologies in their lives,” she adds.
Some schools are taking advantage of the personalized education that AI can give. Alpha School, a group of private schools where students start their day with a two-hour online AI curriculum, has opened locations in six states. Originating in Texas in 2014, they are opening a new location in Chicago later this year. However, the lack of direct teacher education has sparked controversy. “When students come and talk to me one-on-one or I check in with groups, I feel like that’s valued, and I feel like students still want an actual human teacher,” says Tatone. These schools raise questions around what teaching jobs and adolescent social development will look like in the future.
As AI tools continue to advance, there is no definitive answer for how they will continue to shape education. “Anything that we would project past the next 18 months is kind of like flying cars,” says Adamson. However, PPS, along with district administrators, students, teachers, and politicians around the world, are working to establish regulations and expectations to ensure safe use.
