For Teachers

We are building connections between teachers, caregivers and students to support teachers doing what they do best, teaching.

A moratorium on AI is inclusive of all students and will help prepare them for the future

Many students avoid using AI for ethical reasons (environment, social justice) or because they consider that the long-term risks of AI to their learning outweigh any short-term "benefits" it might offer. Other students already use AI at home, and some don't have access at home. The moratorium will support all of these students by allowing teachers, students, and parents some time and autonomy to figure out their own values regarding AI, whether they want to use it, and in what ways. It will also protect school as a space for young people to develop critical and creative thinking and to develop skills without being dependent on AI so that they are ready to enter post-secondary education and workplaces, many of which prize "soft skills" such as problem solving and collaboration, and are beginning to restrict AI use.

The moratorium will allow time to implement non-corporate programs that teach what "AI" is and how LLMs work, and promote critical thinking about the impacts of technologies. This is very different from integrating AI products in schoolwork.

Providing access to subscription-based AI products for students who don't have them at home does not mean increasing equity.

The premise for increasing equity would only make sense if these products are beneficial. We have evidence this is not the case.

Subscription-based and special versions of AI products are (also) unsafe for students. Deploying them in schools is not harm reduction.

Let's take Copilot 13+ at VSB as an example. It is often framed as a "less dangerous" version of ChatGPT, that will be "safer" for students.

What's the same? Both AI products:

• Undermine learning, cause cognitive offloading
• Will write entire essays for students
• Get facts subtly wrong
• Make students give up sooner

What's different? Copilot 13+:

• Doesn't train on student input (allegedly)
• Won't say bad words
• Probably won't tell students dangerous matters

Copilot 13+ is not a "safer" version of the generative AI tools that students use at home. Microsoft promotes its safeguards and privacy features, but the real harm caused by chatbots is in the way they affect student learning and mental health.

Many teachers are acting now, before the moratorium.

You can say no to use of AI products in your classroom. Corporations try to tell us that AI is inevitable, accelerating dangerously, and beyond our comprehension; that isn't true, and you don't need advanced computer skills to develop classroom policies or reflect with your students on the risks and benefits of AI in their lives.

You can also talk with your students about academic honesty, in ways that empower them to make their own decisions. Consider setting boundaries regarding AI use (a first attempt is better than nothing, and you can revise it as needed). Connect with colleagues and the broader community to share concerns about the encroaching influence of big tech companies in classrooms and your visions for education free from AI hype.

Also check out the AIM Coalition in NYC, a broad coalition of parents, educators, students, artists, advocacy groups, and elected allies who have spoken out to demand a two-year moratorium on AI in schools.

We want to hear from you

Are you a teacher in British Columbia? We want to hear from you! We are looking for teachers to give us feedback on the resources on this site, on an informal basis.

If that sounds like something you would be interested in, please contact us via our contact page