Openai classroom software students and “This is the new encyclopedia,” said Cooper, who used to enjoy reading encyclopedias.

Cooper is just one of many teachers now integrating AI into their teaching—another sign that AI tools are increasingly being used in the classroom, as the benefits and risks of the technology continue to evolve.

Six in 10 teachers said they will use an AI tool in their work by the 2024-25 school year, according to a survey by the Walton Family Foundation and Gallup.

Openai classroom software students and First lady Melania Trump announced the Presidential AI Challenge on Tuesday, an initiative to encourage students in grades 1-12 to use AI to “solve societal challenges.

Last month, OpenAI launched a “learning mode” for ChatGPT and announced a partnership with Instructure, whose learning platform is used by millions of students. OpenAI, Microsoft, and Anthropic have also partnered with the American Federation of Teachers (AFL) and the New York City union to invest about $23 million in AI training for 400,000 K-12 teachers.

AI can offer benefits for education, such as more engaging lessons or easier access to information. However, some experts worry about the associated risks, such as making it easier to cheat, increasing educational inequities, or worsening students’ mental health.

“AI is a bit like fire. When cavemen discovered fire, a lot of people said, ‘Oh, look what it can do,'” Sarah Howorth, an associate professor of special education at the University of Maine, told CNN. “Others said, ‘Ah, it can kill us.’ You know, it’s the same thing with AI.”

Openai classroom software students and AI in the Classroom

Instructure, the company behind the learning platform Canvas, is working with Open AI on a new tool called the “LLM-Enabled Assignment.” It allows teachers to create personalized, interactive AI-powered lessons while monitoring student progress.

LLM stands for “Large Language Model,” the underlying technology behind ChatGPT and other chatbots. The tool allows teachers to instruct AI to create a “persona” that can be integrated into a lesson plan by providing a prompt. For example, a history teacher could instruct the AI ​​to take on the role of a president, politician, or other historical figure.

Melissa Loble, Instructure’s chief academic officer, told CNN that the collaboration underscores “that people want to learn, and they want to learn differently.”

Kayla Jefferson, a social studies teacher at a high school in New York City.

says she uses AI to engage students, help them learn from each other, and strengthen their global literacy skills.

One of their tasks is to summarize and reflect on a news article using the AI-powered message board Padlet, where students can see each other’s contributions, Jefferson told CNN.

Many AI-powered tools can also improve accessibility, Howorth said, such as speech-to-text and text-to-speech tools that help people with visual impairments or dyslexia.

Ludrick Cooper, an eighth-grade English teacher in South Carolina, in his classroom. Cooper is one of many teachers already integrating AI into his teaching.
Ludrick Cooper, an eighth-grade English teacher in South Carolina, in his classroom. Cooper is one of many teachers already integrating AI into his teaching. Courtesy of Ludrick Cooper
Matthew Rascoff, vice chancellor for digital learning at Stanford University, said AI companies need to develop more technologies that encourage learning as a social exercise, rather than the current practice of AI tools that typically help one person at a time.

Tools that promote social learning—such as group learning—develop collaborative skills that children can then apply to their own communities.

“Good classrooms create a sense of mutual responsibility for everyone’s learning,” Rascoff explained.

AI does come with some risks.

Integrating AI technology into education comes with some risks.

The New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) initially banned ChatGPT from school district units and networks for fear that students might use the technology to cheat.

The city later reversed that decision after then-NYC DOE president David Banks said ChatGPT initially “surprised New York City schools.” Instructure said its LLM assignment rejects students who ask for answers, describing the tool as a “guided experience that students