As Concord Academy continues to adapt its AI policy, it is important for the community to get a fuller picture of how CA students are currently using AI and how they think about what types of AI usage are appropriate. This past February, the Centipede surveyed 50 students about their own AI usage, their opinions on how it should be used, and their sense of whether CA students are using AI appropriately. Of the students surveyed, 68% reported using ChatGPT, 30% reported using Grammarly, 28% reported using Gemini, 10% reported using Claude, while 22% reported that they did not use any form of Generative AI.
The survey asked students to select from a list of different uses of AI those they engaged in, as well as those they thought were appropriate for a high school setting. 68% of students believed that it was appropriate to use AI to explain concepts that a teacher had previously presented in class, and 48% of students reported using AI for this purpose themselves. 62% of students believed it was appropriate to use AI to edit their grammar, and 40% reported using AI for this purpose. 56% of students believed it was appropriate to use AI to explain how to solve a homework problem, and 36% reported using AI for this purpose. 32% of students believed it was appropriate to use AI to conduct research and find sources, and 28% of students reported using AI for this purpose. 52% of students believed it was appropriate to use AI to summarize their notes, and 22% reported using AI for this purpose. 24% of students believed it was appropriate to use AI to brainstorm paper topics, and 20% of students reported using AI for this purpose. 6% of students believed it was appropriate to use AI to edit and revise their essays beyond grammar suggestions, and 12% of students reported doing so. 6% of students believed it was appropriate to use AI to write topic sentences, thesis, and/or analysis, and 6% of students reported using AI for this purpose.
When asked about their opinions on AI’s impact on learning, 62% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they could benefit from using AI to enhance their learning. 16% were neutral, and 22% disagreed or strongly disagreed. 90% of students agreed or strongly agreed (with the majority strongly agreeing) that using AI too much will cause students to become dependent on it, thus harming their ability to learn. 6% disagreed or strongly disagreed with this statement, and 2% were neutral.
When asked about their opinion on the statement “students at CA use AI irresponsibly,” 44% of students were neutral, 32% agreed, 6% strongly agreed, 18% disagreed, and no students strongly disagreed. 10% of students elaborated that they were unsure of how their classmates used AI and were unable to make an informed decision. 62% of students specifically cited that their main concern with AI usage at CA was that students would become dependent on it and lose critical thinking skills, while 8% answered that they did not have a big concern with AI usage at CA. Other common themes in students’ responses were AI inaccuracy, the replacement of creativity, and teachers being ill-equipped to adapt their curricula to work around AI usage.
Interestingly, even though the majority of responders worried about CA students losing their critical thinking skills as a result of AI usage, 54% of students reported that they believe using AI for critical thinking tasks (brainstorming paper topics; editing/revising essays beyond grammar; writing topic sentences, theses, and or analysis; or solving a homework problem) is appropriate. It is important to note that this survey is limited in terms of understanding how exactly students are using AI to complete these tasks. However, looking at each individual student’s responses, it is clear that 30% of students reported using AI in a way that they deemed inappropriate in a later question. For example, 40% of students who reported using AI to brainstorm topics did not include brainstorming in their selection of appropriate uses of AI.
Overall, the data from this survey reveals three main takeaways about CA students’ AI usage. Firstly, there is a wide variety in the ways in which different students use AI as well as what they think constitutes appropriate AI usage. Secondly, many students do not feel they have a good grasp of how or if their peers are using AI. Thirdly, there is a discrepancy between how individual students use AI and how they think AI should actually be used. Together, these discrepancies urge us to further research and think about the nuanced subject of student AI usage at CA in order to gain a better understanding of how AI can be used most responsibly at our school.