Artificial intelligence and chatbots are becoming more common in the tech world as companies continue to explore and expand those capabilities.

Chatbots like the popular program ChatGPT are starting to be introduced in some American schools.

Marlee Shawn, co-founder of Scholar Education, discussed how access to AI in the classroom could soon impact the way children learn in schools.

“It’s really focusing on enhancing teaching and learning by just automating as many repetitive tasks and time-consuming tasks as we can. So far on the teacher side, we’re seeing a lot of things like helping with lesson planning and data analytics,” Shawn said.

On the student side, Shawn said teachers are now able to provide personalized, real-time feedback to students.

“I think it’s important to note that we’re really in the early days of AI adoption in general. So the results are limited. But what we’re seeing at Scholar Education is that teachers are reporting they’re saving three to five hours per week online,” Shawn said.

Shawn said teachers are also seeing that students feel like they’re getting one-on-one support tailored to their needs, boosting engagement and confidence in the classroom.

Despite the positives, recently a 14-year-old tragically took his own life after falling in love with a chatbot, according to a lawsuit.

We asked Shawn whether AI can be blamed fully or in part for the teen’s death, as well as whether the technology is more dangerous than some realize.

“I think it’s an important conversation. And this tragic example is, you know, I think at its core, what any technology can have an impact on if not implemented in a way that it would teach students and teachers the safe way to use these tools,” Shawn said.

Shawn said AI is a tool, and if students or children don’t understand how the technology works, there are risks.

“My push is that we really focus on AI literacy. We focus on making sure that we’re providing AI in an ethical and safe way. And we can do that if we consider the tools that we’re using and make sure that there are guardrails in place and that we’re educating students on how this technology works, what the potential risks are, and the best use cases for the technology,” Shawn said.

As AI programs become more integrated into the classroom and our daily lives, Shawn spoke about how parents can protect their children.

“Open dialogue with your students. Promote critical thinking. Ask your students to always question and verify the information that they’re using. And really just setting boundaries around screen time and just talking to your student and making sure that you’re informed about the tools that they’re using as well,” Shawn said.