AI in Schools
By Jansen Azarias-Suzumoto, CEO and Co-Founder of Higher Ground
AI has the power to transform education. Done well, it can personalize learning, streamline support systems, and give students and families the tools they need to thrive. But if we rush in without caution, AI will not close the gaps that already exist in our schools, it will blow them wide open and exacerbate current issues.
When large language model (LLM) AI first came into popularity with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, I was one of the first users. I remember using Eliza back when I was in computer science over two decades ago, and I saw how many advancements had been made. Immediately, I watched as education grappled with the use of these tools, with the increase in cheating and ways to detect it becoming the dominant voice in the conversation.
But my mind went somewhere else. As we were just coming out of the pandemic, I remembered how much the digital divide had further created a chasm between students who had access to digital tools versus those who didn’t. The easy access to these AI tools posed some red flags as I considered how much that divide remains unresolved.
I will say this over and over to anyone who’ll listen: the growth of those gaps won’t be linear. It will be exponential. Students and communities who already have access to resources, networks, and training will leap ahead at lightning speed. Meanwhile, the students who are already being left behind, the ones without stable internet, without mentors, without strong school supports, will fall even further out of reach. This is because with these AI tools, information is not only faster and more accessible, but the advancements in the tools themselves are also faster and more advanced.
Even more so, the many ways that students can and will use these tools have more impact and more ability to spread at lightning speed than ever before. The abuses, bullying, deep fakes, cheating, and host of problems from its use might end up making the innovation destructive in the long run, much like how automated algorithms in social media are now causing neurological-level issues.
That is the danger of AI when it is introduced without ethics at the core.
Ethics Before Skills
The conversation in schools often skips straight to “How do we use AI tools?” or “How do we stop them from using AI tools?” But the first question should be: “When should we use them, and if so, how responsibly?”
We have to accept AI tools are here, and they are here to stay. Students will use them no matter what guardrails we put in place. The more we accept that, the more we can move into the conversation of ethical use. Before we teach students to prompt an AI or generate a paper, we must teach them to recognize bias, to question who benefits, and to ask where the data comes from.
Ethics is not optional. It’s the foundation. If we don’t prepare students to think critically about AI’s implications, on privacy, fairness, and justice, we are raising consumers, not leaders.
Supporting, Not Replacing
AI should never replace the relationships that matter most in education: the connection between a student and a caring adult, the trust between families and schools, the mentorship that helps a young person see who they can become. Wealthier schools will use AI as an enhancement to human support; underfunded schools risk having it handed to them as a substitute. That would be devastating.
Data With Dignity
Now let’s talk more about data. The abuse on data already has historical roots, with people extracting data from communities for their profit, without the communities ever seeing an advantage. Or worse, data has been used to build biases and surveillance, causing unhealthy visibility and widespread misinterpreted conclusions. If we are going to use data, we need to make sure it’s about ensuring that no student or family falls through the cracks because a system failed to see them. Done right, AI can amplify dignity and equity. Done wrong, it can codify inequity into the very fabric of education.
The Choice in Front of Us
We are at a crossroads. AI can help us build more just, effective schools—or it can become the greatest driver of gaps our education system has ever seen. The difference depends on whether we lead with ethics and responsibility, or whether we let convenience and cost savings dictate the future.
Our responsibility is clear: teach ethics first. Put ethics at the center. And never forget that technology must serve people—not the other way around.
A Final Word: We Are Not Anti-AI
I want to be clear: I am not anti-AI. In fact, at Higher Ground we have already adopted many AI tools, and we plan to build more that directly serve our students and families. AI, when developed and used responsibly, has the potential to be an incredible ally in education. It can personalize learning, streamline tasks that take teachers away from students, improve accessibility for diverse learners, and provide data-driven insights that help us intervene earlier and more effectively.
These applications align perfectly with our mission and our Restart SMART strategy, which is rooted in data, executive function, and whole-child development. We see AI not as a replacement for the human connection that drives transformation, but as a support system that can amplify our reach and deepen our impact. Imagine AI enhancing our mapping system with even sharper insights, or supporting our staff in designing more tailored interventions for chronic absenteeism and safer schools.
We believe that data should be owned by students and families, and that this data should be used to help inform students and families of the decisions, resources, and skills they need to access in order to give them the greatest opportunity to be positive contributors in their communities.
That is why ethics must come first: because only when guided by responsibility and purpose can AI truly strengthen our mission to empower one life at a time to reach, transform, and elevate their community.
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AI in Education: Enhancing Our Mission at Higher Ground
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming education nationwide, offering incredible opportunities to enhance learning and support. Far from replacing human connection, AI tools are emerging as powerful allies for teachers and students, especially in areas vital to Higher Ground's mission.
Across the country, AI is being positively leveraged to:
Personalize Learning: AI-powered platforms adapt content and pace to individual student needs, providing tailored resources and real-time feedback. This helps bridge learning gaps and keeps students engaged.
Automate Tasks: AI can streamline administrative duties like grading, attendance tracking, and even generating lesson plan ideas, freeing up teachers to focus on what they do best: teaching and building relationships.
Improve Accessibility: Tools with features like text-to-speech and language translation make learning more accessible for diverse student populations, ensuring inclusivity.
Provide Data-Driven Insights: AI can analyze student performance data to identify trends and flag students who might need extra support, enabling early intervention.
At Higher Ground, our mission is clear: to empower one life at a time to reach, transform, and elevate their community through love and character building. Our Restart SMART strategy already champions a data-driven, personalized approach to student support, emphasizing executive function skills, resilience, and grit. The positive applications of AI in education align seamlessly with our core philosophies.
Imagine how AI could further enhance our existing mapping system, offering even deeper insights into student strengths and triggers, or how it could support our dedicated teams in developing even more tailored interventions for chronic absenteeism and safer schools. As we continue to serve over 4,100 youth, families, and educators in Arizona, exploring the ethical and impactful integration of AI presents exciting opportunities to amplify our reach and effectiveness, ensuring every student has the tools and support to thrive.
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Click The 74 - AI in Schools for more information and research about using AI in schools.