Rethinking place of AI in our classrooms

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to shape multiple sectors globally, yet in many academic spaces, it is treated as an uninvited guest, met with suspicion and raised eyebrows.

A growing concern in schools is the tendency to treat highly polished student work as suspicious, often assuming that AI assistance must have been involved. The moment a script looks too clean, eyebrows rise. This trend raises important questions: Have we become so used to mediocrity that excellence now feels abnormal? And what does that say about our expectations of learners?

Today’s students learn from a wide spectrum of sources—books, teachers, online lessons, peers and increasingly, AI tools. Naturally, the vocabulary and expressions they acquire show up in their writing. When a student who reads widely writes well, we should hardly be surprised.

 Labelling certain words as “AI indicators” risks creating an environment where genuine growth is misread as digital interference. It can also unintentionally penalise students who have simply worked hard to improve.

Part of the problem lies in a long-standing belief that academic work must feel difficult to be legitimate. If an essay is excellent, we look for the catch. If a script flows too well, we search for the fingerprints of a machine. In such a system, brilliance becomes a red flag instead of the target. This weakens trust between teachers and learners, especially now that digital literacy is no longer a luxury but a basic skill. If our knee-jerk response to quality work is suspicion, what message are we sending about achievement?

Active learning

Instead of focusing solely on detection—an exhausting tug of war—we can explore creative, realistic ways to integrate AI into classrooms. What if teachers allowed students to generate a rough draft using AI, then required them to personalise, challenge and deepen the ideas? This would turn passive consumption into active learning. Suddenly, AI becomes a thinking partner, not a shortcut. This approach shifts the spotlight back to the learner’s voice, judgment and creativity.

AI-generated summaries or analyses of themes, characters, or concepts could also become intellectual sparring partners. Students can evaluate these interpretations, refine them, or completely dismantle them. In the process, they sharpen their reasoning, not their copy-and-paste skills. A classroom where students debate with AI’s suggestions might sound futuristic, but it also sounds like excellent learning.

Assessment design, too, can benefit. Teachers can use AI to create varied or personalised assessments that reflect each learner’s strengths and needs. In this scenario, AI becomes the silent organiser—working behind the scenes to make assessments fairer and more responsive. Teachers then regain time for feedback, mentorship and the human aspects of education that no algorithm can imitate.

As Competency-Based Education reaches the senior school stage next year, the questions become even more urgent: How many teachers are prepared to integrate AI meaningfully? How many schools are training staff to use it ethically and creatively?

Clear guidelines

Whether one is excited about AI or slightly allergic to it, the truth remains that it is already shaping how learners think, practise and produce work. Schools that plan ahead will benefit, those that ignore the conversation may find themselves playing catch-up with their own students.

Developing clear guidelines will be essential. Students need to know what responsible AI use looks like. Teachers need strategies that protect academic integrity without stifling progress. When expectations are clear, AI becomes an ally rather than an adversary.

Ultimately, AI is not the enemy. The real danger is our refusal to believe that students are capable of brilliance. If excellence continues to be treated with suspicion, we risk dimming the confidence of learners who are only beginning to discover their abilities. Education should be the place where potential is nurtured—not questioned at every turn.

With thoughtful integration, open conversations and creative use of new tools, AI can enhance teaching rather than replace it. It can expand horizons rather than shrink them. And perhaps most importantly, it can help us move from a culture of suspicion to a culture of curiosity—where good work is celebrated, and great work is expected.

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The writer is a teacher, author and teens mentor. [email protected].