New Artificial Intelligence Policy Implemented at UHS

Artificial Intelligence is undeniably one of the most impactful technologies in recent years. It has been one of the fastest-adopted technologies in human history, fundamentally altering how people work across all major industries.

It has become evident that AI is a revolutionary step, and the potential of AI is abundant; however, it has also raised concerns about the boundaries and unchecked use of the technology. The discussions have led to the possible integration of guardrails, especially in the field of education. The use of AI has emerged as a key tool, as well as a key challenge in the field of education, where it provides greater access to information while also raising concerns about cognitive offloading, as the need for critical thinking is being bypassed. Unionville High School students have also been affected by this rapid evolution, raising concerns about the effective use of AI. For proper implementation of any policy, it is important that the policy is simple to comprehend and easy to implement, especially when it applies to thousands of students across different age groups with this approach in mind, the school district administration introduced policy 815.2 regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence in its Policy Manual. It sets guidelines on the use of AI for high school students in hopes to “ensure the ethical and responsible use of AI technologies to enhance teaching, learning, and administrative processes while safeguarding student privacy and data security.” According to Mr. Scott Golightly, the librarian, “in the most basic sense, the AI policy UCFSD has instituted is a start. The policy gives teachers a great deal of flexibility to implement different types of AI tools. However, given how quickly AI is advancing, I predict the policy will continue to evolve." A major focus of the policy is to develop AI literacy among students. To achieve that goal, the policy includes a red, yellow, and green color scale outlining the level of AI use permitted for different assignments. Red signifies no use of AI is permitted, yellow indicates AI can be used only with teacher approval first, and green shows that AI can/should be used. Teachers will be very clear in what assignments can or cannot use AI and how AI should be used.

Ultimately, the objective of the policy is not to resist change but to ensure that as the students get access to this new form of “intelligence,” students can continue to leverage it in the right and ethical manner that continues to develop creativity and critical thinking.