Written By: Daphné Panié

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly present in our everyday lives, students integrate it into their school activities in a variety of ways. AI is no longer a futuristic, unrealistic tool only seen in movies, but is becoming part of how students study, research, and complete their homework. From clarifying difficult concepts to creating presentations, AI tools are becoming omnipresent in students’ education, often raising questions about the stance schools should take when responding to this shift. To better understand how AI is used at RCDS and what students think of it, a survey was conducted in the community. Across all grades, 40 students participated in this survey, giving insights into the student body’s attitudes towards AI tools.

At RCDS, AI use has become common across grade levels. Results reported that, while usage varies, two-thirds of students use it at least 2-3 times a week, if not every day. This frequent usage shows how AI has become a regular resource for most of the student body. The survey also showed that students rely most heavily on AI for science and humanities courses, followed closely by maths and modern languages.

When asked why they used AI, most students stated using it to study for tests, understand new materials, or conduct research. Only a few students said they used AI for writing essays or papers and creating presentations. This shows that while AI is commonly used, it is usually to provide additional support rather than replacing one’s work. Many students appear to treat AI as a digital tutor, using it to reinforce learning rather than complete assignments for them.

When answering the survey, students were also asked about the social implications of the use of AI. More than half of the respondents stated that AI is not a major source of tension with teachers or parents, although some acknowledged that it could occasionally be a source of concern. This tension often arises from uncertainty about what is considered acceptable use, whether it is to brainstorm, provide links for research, or to “grade” one’s work, especially when expectations are unclear or differ between classes.

When asked if they thought teachers rely on AI too much, opinions were mixed; one third of the students responded no, while another third responded yes, and the remaining students were unsure or felt it depended on the class and teacher.

Similarly, their thoughts on RCDS’s stance concerning AI were mixed. Some think RCDS had taken a clean and balanced approach when approaching AI policies, with one student commenting, “It’s honestly pretty relaxed, teachers understand the uses and applications of AI that aren’t cheating or plagiarism.” On the other hand, others thought that AI policies are not strict enough, and boundaries remain blurry between classes.  

When asked what they thought about AI use overall in school, one student responded, “I think it’s sad that younger grades don’t know high school pre-AI. It’s almost like they aren’t getting a chance to learn to love learning because they view school as just grades to be earned in the most efficient manner possible.” One student also added that having “a formal programming session to discuss AI” would be beneficial to the student body. They then added that it is  “important for us to be taught the correct, appropriate, and helpful uses of AI in school.” When asked to share her thoughts, Alexandra Steyn ‘27 noted an important distinction between the humanities and STEM classes. She stated that while in math and science people “often use AI to clarify concepts or understand how to solve a problem better,” as additional support, in humanities classes, students will often “use AI to generate ideas, not to write whole things but to get edits and make their own ideas,” which may hinder one’s critical thinking capabilities. 

AI coordinator Dr. Khairule shared that RCDS’s stance on AI is constantly being revised to better fit everyday evolution and expansion. He shared that expectations greatly varied between different classes, with teachers being more or less comfortable with giving full access to AI. He encourages all students interested in this topic to reach out and take his class, AI in Business.  

As AI continues to rapidly develop, its use in the educational context is likely to expand. By acknowledging its use, schools are able to help students grow in the digital age, explaining to them how to best use AI for the future.