Morgan Kim and Kate Hyunkyung Cho, Youth Ambassadors of DQ Institute
Never before has it been so easy to connect with others – yet students are lonelier than ever and increasingly vulnerable to cyber dangers. Never before has information been so accessible —yet students are thinking less. Never before have we had more tools to learn—yet our capacity for original thought is under threat. The cost of leaving Artificial Intelligence unchecked is not just academic dishonesty but the slow erosion of effort, curiosity, and identity. The extent of possibilities with Generative AI is no secret; it is necessary to ensure that people, particularly our peers, can smartly utilize it to increase the value of their skills instead of diminishing their capacities.
Regardless of successful and widely known global campaigns, students scroll through hours of Instagram Reels and TikTok, disregarding the vague preaching about ‘the harms of social media’ they might hear from their parents or schools. We laugh off, having become desensitized to screen time and the dangers associated with the Internet—access to pornography, gambling, and violent content—as an everyday fact imposed on this generation. With the introduction of Artificial Intelligence into this already saturated storm of digital issues, the bar for harm is only raised. For instance, the emergence of Deepfakes with Generative AI involves and merges issues of misinformation, pornography, and personal safety on a scale that has never been defined before. Between being unable to tell whether something is AI-generated or not and using images of others to generate inappropriate content without consent, Deepfakes are difficult to regulate yet can be destructive to families and victims.
In schools, students mindlessly use ChatGPT to think, write, and solve problems. In the attractiveness of vain efficiency, students are hindered in developing their critical thinking. What’s the point of wasting time struggling to get the correct answers when there’s such an obvious shortcut? Students fail to realise that memorizing, problem-solving, and idea-generating, all of these skills require time and effort. But there is immense merit in the labour itself. It’s through this process that we learn. This is why students’ exposure to AI looms as a threat. When faced with such new technology developing at an unprecedented rate and entails many risks, the safest option for teachers and schools is to discourage its use. After all, it does not make sense, nor is it currently feasible to teach students how to use AI when such knowledge is limited and, when done incorrectly, carries consequences.
However, AI is not just another tool – It is a technological revolution that is fundamentally changing our society and the way we live. Avoiding it is no longer an option. That’s why schools should adopt it in a thoughtful and positive way. In education, where a core goal is to nurture students’ critical and creative thinking, AI can serve as a powerful learning partner. Just as students can use ChatGPT as a cheating tool, they can just as easily use it to deepen understanding, spark ideas, and enhance cognitive skills. Generative AI is now at the fingertips of any online user and has started integrating itself into every industry internationally. Students will inevitably work alongside AI, so ignorance is not an option. At worst, knowing how to use AI effectively is a baseline prerequisite for future job readiness. At best, students can use AI to benefit their learning, enhance their well-being, and reimagine new possibilities.
Thus, we must move beyond the current status quo, where AI is often used irresponsibly by teens, and blocked or ignored by schools. To change this, policymakers and industry leaders must take action: make AI literacy a mandatory part of the curriculum, and provide schools with the support and resources they need. Teachers must be equipped with the tools and training. Only then every student can learn AI literacy in a way that empowers them – not as passive consumers, but as confident and ethical co-creators of this technology.
Here are 10 essential things that every student must know about AI:
- What AI Is & What It Isn’t
- When to Use AI & When Not to
- Recognizing AI in Everyday Life
- The Pros & Cons of AI
- How to Use AI Effectively
- Understanding the AI Risks
- How to Respond to the Risks
- Build Your Own AI (DIY AI)
- Understanding the Basic Building Blocks of AI (e.g. Data, Algorithm)
- Teach Others About Positive AI Use
