AI in Education: Balancing Benefits and Ethics

Published Date : 13/08/2025 

In today’s tech-driven world, educators and students must navigate the benefits and ethical considerations of artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom. This article explores how AI can enhance learning while ensuring responsible use. 

In today’s technological world of artificial intelligence (AI), students must embrace the benefits of this new learning tool, but also be aware of its ethics. Dr. Deepti Tagare, who works closely with AI at the University of Texas at San Antonio, is well-versed in the ways AI can be used to enhance education for both teachers and students.

“A lot of the tools we see are built for students and teachers to make tasks efficient,” Tagare said. “It can help teachers with coming up with lesson plans or develop learning materials and activities in class. They would take those ideas that AI gives them and modify them to adapt to the needs of their classroom. At the end of the day, the teacher is still the final say, but it can save them time and the effort of designing every class every week with giving them creative edges. For students, it can be used as a tutor.”

However, Tagare warns against using AI without proper vetting. “Blind trust in AI is not advisable,” she said. “AI does make mistakes. It is not flawless, and those mistakes can have serious consequences in life.” She also cautions that excessive dependency on AI can hinder the learning process and lead to academic dishonesty.

“A student without understanding the material will end up just copying and pasting what AI is giving them,” Tagare explained. “We want to discourage that in our students. I want them to learn and know what they are working with, so we educate students to be AI literate, where they understand the limitations of AI. This will help them know the right time to use it or when it is inappropriate to use it.”

David Vela, an AP World History teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School, agrees with this sentiment. “Use it as a study partner or tutor,” he said. “Ask it the right questions. You wouldn’t ask it, ‘What is 2+2?’ It would just tell you the answer, and there is no learning behind it. Ask it the who, what, when, where, and how questions. ‘How did you come to that conclusion? Explain this step.’ Kids, they love to go to the gym and workout. This is the same kind of thing. You’ll get stronger and better by going through the process. The brain will get stronger and better by going through the process. You are just using a different and faster medium than what the generations before us used.”

Vela’s goal is to teach his students how to use AI ethically and encourages his colleagues to do the same. In the past, programs have been used to spot plagiarism, and similar red flags are seen in AI-generated assignments. “Some indicators are, a lot of times, students who usually write sentences in as few words as possible have started giving long-worded essays,” Tagare said. “Or the sentence structure is almost perfect for an 8th-grade student who would most likely make a mistake when writing. AI tools can also be good at mimicking a student if you ask it to, but it would still maintain the commas and punctuation marks. Perfect punctuation is another sign AI has been used here.”

Consequences for using AI unethically vary from school to school, but all can be damaging to a student’s reputation. “The first or second time that dishonesty is noticed, talk to the students and warn them against doing that,” Dr. Tagare recommended. “But if there is a constant pattern, then there will be lower grades or asking them to do something again until it is proven they have put in the work.” Expulsion, not receiving a diploma, or having to retake a class are other potential consequences of cheating.

Like Tagare, Vela also emphasizes that the student will not retain important information needed in the long term. Both recommend that teachers familiarize themselves with AI’s capabilities and keep up with its rapid evolution. “I feel all teachers, no matter what the subject, need to familiarize themselves with the capabilities of AI, and because it is evolving fast, keep up with what is happening and how to keep up with it today,” she said. “Know where it is heading and what are the limitations of it that could impact students like incorrect output or bias output. Looking at those aspects and keeping themselves with those aspects and knowing what’s going on.”

Parents can also benefit from learning how to use AI. “I recommend parents to not be adverse to technology and go all in to see how it works and interact with it like your child would,” Dr. Tagare said. “So that they are aware of the drawbacks. A lot of times, parents are not aware of what technology could do, and so they are unable to guide children to not do something that is not good for them. It is a double-edged sword. But if you are a friend of technology, you are better equipped with making a right decision versus you running away from it.” 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What are the benefits of using AI in the classroom?

A: AI can help teachers with lesson planning, developing learning materials, and providing tutoring support to students. It can save time and effort, allowing teachers to focus on more personalized instruction.

Q: What are the risks of over-relying on AI in education?

A: Over-relying on AI can lead to academic dishonesty, as students might copy and paste AI-generated content without understanding it. It can also hinder critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Q: How can teachers and students use AI ethically?

A: Teachers and students should be educated about AI literacy, understanding its limitations and appropriate use. They should use AI as a tool to enhance learning, not replace it.

Q: What are some indicators of AI-generated content in student assignments?

A: Indicators include unusually long sentences, perfect punctuation, and consistent sentence structure, especially for students who typically make mistakes.

Q: What are the consequences of using AI unethically in schools?

A: Consequences can range from warnings and lower grades to more severe actions like expulsion, not receiving a diploma, or having to retake a class. 

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