Teachers Worry About Students Using A.I. But They Love It for Themselves.

As artificial intelligence rapidly enters the education sector, a striking paradox is becoming evident. On one hand, many educators are actively discouraging students from relying on AI tools due to fears of academic dishonesty and a decline in critical thinking skills. Yet, at the very same time, these educators are increasingly incorporating AI into their own workflows to streamline administrative duties, assess student performance, and even personalize lesson plans.

This contradictory approach has raised complex ethical questions. For instance, is it consistent or fair to ban students from using AI to write essays, while educators themselves utilize similar technologies to grade those same assignments?

School administrators are now wrestling with these kinds of dilemmas amid an explosion of AI marketing that promises to “revolutionize,” “individualize,” and “accelerate” learning experiences. Despite the confusion, one thing is clear: artificial intelligence has already found a strong foothold in both teaching and learning environments.

Jennifer Carolan, a former teacher and now partner at Reach Capital—a venture capital firm that backs AI-driven educational products—notes that AI is already widely adopted by teachers and students alike. However, some educators worry that the tech industry is investing heavily in tools like virtual tutors that could potentially erode the human relationships central to quality education. They argue these investments should instead target tools that alleviate bureaucratic tasks and redirect educators’ attention toward engaging with their students.

Is It Cheating, or Just Homework Support?

Among middle schoolers, certain AI-powered apps have become popular as quick solutions to challenging math problems. With just a snapshot of a problem, students can receive step-by-step explanations and correct answers. Although convenient, this has led to growing concerns that students may simply be copying solutions without truly understanding the material.

Alex Baron, a school administrator at E.L. Haynes Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., views this as a form of academic dishonesty. Still, he admits that AI can serve a valuable role in his own responsibilities—particularly in analyzing academic data and organizing students into groups based on their learning needs.

Apps like PhotoMath and Google Lens, both owned by Google, are among the most used. Robert Wong, a product director at Google focusing on educational technology, defends these tools. He argues that they are critical resources for students who lack access to help at home. He also references a small study indicating that cheating may be less about the technology itself and more about how engaged students feel in their learning environments.

Some educators are now trying to reframe the narrative around AI—using it not as a crutch but as a motivator. In Llano, Texas, for example, district tech coordinator Maurie Beasley encourages teachers to use AI-generated content to tailor learning experiences to individual interests. A student might explore velocity through a baseball example, while another uses dance as their context. These adjustments help foster greater interest and engagement.

Drawing Ethical Lines and Embracing Transparency

In Providence, Rhode Island, middle school history teacher Jon Gold has found generative AI tools like ChatGPT particularly helpful when preparing lessons. By uploading his previously developed curriculum into the AI, he’s able to generate new content tailored to specific objectives—such as simplifying dense reading assignments or producing sample essays to teach analytical writing skills.

Gold emphasizes the importance of transparency with his students. He shares how he uses AI tools, hoping to demonstrate ethical and responsible use. For instance, he supports using chatbots to summarize notes, but draws the line at drafting entire essays or conducting research using AI. He believes these core academic tasks are crucial to developing a deeper understanding of historical context and analytical thinking.

Gold also makes an effort to introduce students to the broader ethical concerns around AI, such as copyright violations and environmental costs. “I’m more in favor of AI literacy than unrestricted AI use,” he says, highlighting the importance of teaching students how the technology works rather than just banning it outright.

Supporting Writing: A Tool for Teachers More Than Students

Writing remains one of the most difficult tasks for students, often leading them to turn to AI tools for assistance. While this raises concerns about authenticity and learning integrity, many educators see AI as a potential asset—particularly when it comes to assigning more writing without being overwhelmed by the grading load.

Platforms like MagicSchool and Brisk Teaching provide AI-powered feedback on student writing almost instantly. In some states, AI is even used in high-stakes testing environments. Texas, for example, entered into a five-year, $391 million agreement with Cambium Assessment to automate the scoring of student essays.

This system does not rely on generative AI or real-time internet access, but instead employs older machine learning models trained on human-scored essays. However, the system has not been without flaws. Dallas school officials reported inconsistencies in the software’s grading. After reviewing over 4,600 student essays, nearly 2,000 scores were adjusted upward.

Jake Kobersky, a representative from the Texas Education Agency, minimized the discrepancies, calling them insignificant compared to the total volume of writing samples evaluated. He also pointed out that human grading can be equally fallible, often influenced by unconscious bias or fatigue.

Despite her concerns about automated scoring, Dallas Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde noted her district has embraced AI in many other areas—from evaluating student essays for Advanced Placement courses to summarizing complex documents and managing data analysis. She emphasizes that students must be taught how to work with AI tools, including learning how to verify information they receive. “We have a duty to prepare students for their futures,” she asserts. “And that future includes AI.”

A Booming Industry with Mixed Results

The intersection of AI and education has become a lucrative market. In just the past two years, companies in this space have secured over $1.5 billion in funding, according to Reach Capital. Tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, and Khan Academy are among those most aggressively developing AI solutions for education, spanning everything from student tutoring to teacher support.

Google’s educational AI strategy, as explained by Robert Wong, is to provide “a personal tutor for every student and a teaching assistant for every educator.” Google’s Gemini chatbot, for example, is capable of engaging students in reflective questioning that helps solidify their understanding.

School leaders, however, are faced with difficult choices about which tools are genuinely helpful and which may overreach. In Washington, D.C., Mr. Baron recounted a vendor pitch for an AI product that would analyze video recordings of teachers to offer instructional feedback. He resisted the idea, saying that teacher evaluations are one of the most nuanced responsibilities he has—and not something he wants to delegate to an algorithm.

Instead, he would prefer tools that handle tedious but time-consuming tasks, like updating class schedules or securing substitute teachers. “The real value of AI should be in freeing up our time to do the meaningful work,” he said. “I want teachers reading their students’ writing. I want administrators observing classrooms.”

Carolan from Reach Capital echoed similar sentiments, warning that marketing efforts around AI can often be “overly ambitious.” She urges educators to become fluent in AI technologies and terminology, so they can critically assess the value and limitations of what’s being sold to them.

Unfortunately, not all schools are equipped to make informed decisions. In Los Angeles, for instance, an inexperienced start-up was given the responsibility of designing an AI chatbot for students and families—a project that collapsed and led to fraud charges against the company’s CEO.

With limited guidance, many educators are navigating this landscape alone, trying to discern where AI poses a threat and where it offers real benefits.

Mike Sullivan, a math teacher in Brockton, Massachusetts, estimates that about half of his students use AI-based tools like Google Lens to complete their assignments. While some restrict usage to homework, others have been caught using them during in-class tests.

“It’s just too easy,” Sullivan admitted. The situation has prompted him to reconsider the heavy use of digital tools in his classroom. Yet, he also dreams of an AI solution that could transfer handwritten student work into a digital gradebook automatically—a perfect example of how AI might serve teachers without undermining student learning.