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Article by the Tennessee Conservative News staff –
Some Tennessee educators are expressing concern over the increasing use of artificial intelligence in the classroom following a recent announcement from Google.
Google has long been a top choice of search engines utilized by students, but they recently made an announcement stating that schools simply had to accept the fact that Google Search now integrated with Gemini, its artificial intelligence platform. The alternative they offer to schools is to simply stop using Google in the classroom at all.
Google claims they are not trying to pressure schools into allowing the use of AI, but even Gemini itself states that it cannot be turned off, even if some features are disabled, making it extremely difficult for schools to prohibit students from using it.
Josh Rosenberg, Haslam Family Professor and an Associate Professor of STEM Education in the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, told WATE that he believes Google has set the platform up this way intentionally.
“If Google wanted to, they could still allow for Google search to be available to students in classrooms. This is really, just to call it what it is, it’s a strategic decision that they’re making to try to make AI more commonplace in classrooms,” he stated.
Recent research has shown that the use of artificial intelligence has a negative impact on cognitive function in adults and hinders proper development in children.
Critics note that AI is designed to provide answers, not help students learn how to come up with those answers on their own. This causes students to miss a huge part of the learning process.
Rosenberg noted that he has seen students use AI to create tools that have allowed them to accomplish significant things, but his fear is the growing reliance on AI summaries, leading students to accept what they read without questioning anything.
Some school districts, including Knox County Schools, are moving towards the use of filtering programs that prohibit students from accessing Google’s AI search features. Critics of the overuse of AI in the classroom, however, want schools to provide more transparency in their policies regarding AI use, including details of what specific programs are used and what the intended purpose is.
Sources:
WATE.
