The Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education discussed a new policy Monday night that would establish rules on how students and staff can use artificial intelligence in the classroom.
The draft policy would allow CPS students to use AI tools for educational purposes only when permitted by teachers or school authorities. Students couldn't use them to plagiarize or cheat on assignments.
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Students and staff using AI tools are expected to use them ethically and respectfully, meaning they should use caution before entering personal or sensitive information into AI chatbots and virtual assistants. Additionally, CPS says students must treat interactions with AI tools with the same decency and respect as human interactions. Abusive or disrespectful language and using AI to share inappropriate content would not be allowed under the policy.
While the district is developing restrictions on the use of AI, board members say they're optimistic about its potential to help many CPS students when used correctly and safely.
"It is a really tremendously helpful tool for those students who have disabilities," board member Brandon Craig said. "Specifically around allowing them to be able to have information be edited and reviewed, or modified to put it in a more friendly language."
The board say teachers would be allowed to use AI to assist with daily tasks as well as help develop lesson plans and create assignments tailored to students' interests. Additionally, the draft of the policy says AI should not be used as a substitute for human staff or human judgment.
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Board member Ben Lindy says he's personally had success using AI to help with learning at home, utilizing it to create math word problems for his son based on the Legend of Zelda video games. Lindy says while students and teachers shouldn't fully rely on AI, it can make learning fresh and engaging.
"What I like about the direction this is going is that it invites creativity and technology in ways that benefit kids," Lindy told the board.
Though many on the board generally approved of the policy, board member Kareem Moffett asked the board to add more detail about what happens when staff and students violate the district's rules about AI tools.
"I think this is a great start," Moffett said. "I'm a little concerned that it's missing some other things that I've heard from colleagues and staff that there needs to be clear-cut consequences as to if it was violated."
Lindy says members of the board plan to make additions and revise the policy before it's presented to the rest of the board again for approval.
