If you take a glance at the front page of any major news outlet, chances are you will find yourself reading through the latest on the multi-faceted issue of artificial intelligence. Ever since ChatGPT burst onto the scene in late 2022, the powerful but controversial tool has taken over the academic world. Whether you are a student, teacher, lawyer, journalist, or scientist, the rise of AI has certainly affected you in some way. Certainly, ChatGPT is a powerful tool that has the potential for boundless opportunity and innovation. However, critics have raised valid concerns about the effects of artificial intelligence, including its potential for stunting the intellectual growth of those who rely too heavily on it.
Here at Dexter Southfield, ChatGPT is a relevant topic among our students and teachers. Through interviewing a number of community members, I found that there is certainly a lively debate surrounding a controversial tool. Many students view ChatGPT as a useful resource that has the potential to generate innovation in the classroom.
Matt Capello ’26 said, “I think that AI should be in the classroom, not for everything, but it provides ease in coming up with ideas, and it is a good peer review method. For instance, you can plug in a paragraph and ask for the main idea, in hopes that you get back what you are aiming to write about.”
Other students are excited about the implications of ChatGPT in an advanced academic setting. Jett Little ‘26 remarked, “What excites me is AI’s ability to solve problems that a human cannot solve.”
However, there are valid concerns regarding how extensively students should employ the tool, as it can limit the development of creative expression. Jack Sarmanian ‘26 said, “I think that AI is the worst thing possible for society. While it makes human lives easier, it makes humans inherently lazy.”
