AI in High School Education: The Future of Learning
Posted on February 12 2025
When you think of artificial intelligence (AI), what’s the first thing that comes to mind? ChatGPT? AI assistants like Siri and Alexa? Self-driving cars? There’s so much more to AI than those common examples, and you’re probably using or impacted by it each day without even realizing it.
We are experiencing a boom in a specific type of AI, generative AI. This type of artificial intelligence “can create original content—such as text, images, video, audio, or software code—in response to a user’s prompt or request,” according to IBM. Experts anticipate the AI market to reach $826.80 billion by 2030, growing more than 28% annually. Most of the funding for artificial intelligence goes to generative AI (thing ChatGPT or Google Gemini), with OpenAI, ChatGPT’s parent company, being the most financially supported company in 2024. Long story short, AI isn’t going anywhere, and its development is only going to increase over the next few years.
From the smartphone in the palm of your hand to your doctor’s office to your classroom, artificial intelligence is all around you. Let’s take a look at how it’s used in education.
Understanding AI Applications in High School Education
AI is increasingly being integrated into education, and as generative tools become more advanced, their presence is expected to grow. While discussions have often focused on concerns about academic integrity, there is also a potential for these technologies to support learning. When used ethically, AI can serve as a valuable resource to students.
How Students Use AI
Schools are still trying to decide if and how they should use and teach AI in the classroom.
New technology has provided new ways for academic dishonesty. Turnitin’s AI detection tool detected that some AI was used in about a tenth of assignments, while about three percent of assignments were generated mostly by AI.
Instead of using the technology to completely write an essay or give you answers to a problem, Tara Nattrass suggested “using AI to break down difficult topics to strengthen understanding.” Nattrass, the managing director of innovation and strategy at ISTE+ASCD, wrote this advice in an email to Education Week.
In addition to helping students understand difficult topics, AI tools can also help “level the playing field” for students with disabilities. Here are just a few examples:
- Computer-generated voices can read passages of text for visually impaired and dyslexic students.
- Word-prediction programs can help dyslexic students with writing assignments by predicting what words they are trying to write if their spelling is off.
- Generative AI can help students with learning disabilities understand how to work through math and logic problems.
The technology isn’t limited to students with disabilities, though. Here’s an example of an app you might have on your phone. The popular language learning app, Duolingo, uses AI to provide personalized lessons to more than 100 million learners. The app also uses the technology to provide custom feedback on why learners get something wrong in an attempt to help them understand their mistakes, gives them an opportunity to have conversations in the language they’re learning, and more.
Our online high school, The American Academy, uses artificial intelligence on auto-graded assignments for both our individual courses and our program that allows students to earn their high school diploma online. While auto-graded assignments allow students to get feedback on their work quickly, our courses also have teacher-graded assignments where teachers provide personalized feedback that gives students insights on what they did well and what they can improve on.
Most Popular AI Tools for High School Students
- ChatGPT — Versatile research and problem-solving tool
- Grammarly — Grammar and spelling checker
- Notion — Productivity and note taking tool
- Google Gemini — Research tool
- Copyscape — Plagiarism detector
- Otter.ai — Transcription tool
- Dall-E — Digital image generator
- Semantic Scholar — Scientific literature research tool
These tools are designed to complement traditional learning methods rather than replace them. They can help with tasks like research, writing, and transcription, but they are most effective when used as a support rather than a substitute for individual effort.
Students are not the only people within schools using artificial intelligence. Let’s take a look at how teachers and administrators are using the tech as well.
Teacher Training with AI
Here’s one of the most common use-cases of AI by teachers. Earlier, we mentioned students using AI to do assignments for them. Teachers use AI-detection tools to know when students are doing this, and the tools themselves use artificial intelligence to detect artificial intelligence (Say that five times fast!).
There are a variety of applications for this type of technology for teachers, and there are some benefits, including:
- Saved time
- Personalization
- Data-driven decisions
- Accessibility for students
Teachers may use AI to help them gamify activities to make them engaging and fun, design visuals to spice up their presentations and lectures, or convert text to speech to help students who may have a disability that prevents them from reading.
However, a risk of using too much technology in the classroom is making the learning experience less human. A big part of education is the human element, so teachers need to ensure they balance in-person interactions and feedback with their students with their use of technology.
In addition, there are also student data privacy concerns that need to be considered. School administrators and teachers in particular need to consider their use of technology if student data is being shared because there is always a risk of data breach, and schools want to ensure the safety and security of their students’ personal information.
Artificial intelligence tools are relatively new, and teachers need training in order to demonstrate and teach how to use them responsibly in the classroom. There are a variety of courses available online to help teachers learn to use and teach these tools.
The Future of AI in Education
As with the introduction of any new technology, there can be resistance to implementation. There are reasons for optimism, though. The World Economic Forum proposed four “promises” of AI in education that we can expect to see in the near future:
- Supporting teachers’ role: augmentation and automation
- Refining assessment and decision-making in education
- Supporting AI and digital literacy
- Personalizing learning content and experience
These are big terms saying that AI will transform traditional education. Essentially, this means that artificial intelligence will make teachers’ jobs easier and take some of the stress of repetitive tasks off their shoulders. It will help schools improve how they measure student learning and progress so they can make informed decisions. Students will also become more accustomed to the tools available to them and learn how they can use them to enhance their learning. Finally, it will make learning a custom experience for students that is tailored to their needs and learning styles.
In addition, students learning and using AI responsibility will be prepared for tomorrow’s workforce. They’ll enter the workforce with knowledge and experience with tools that are being used in a variety of professionals.
Final Thoughts
Today, it seems like most people conflate AI and generative AI tools like ChatGPT. However, artificial intelligence is used every day in the form of search engines, Alexa or Siri, and more.
The ethical concerns of using generative AI for school are worth considering. Students should use technology as a tool to support their learning rather than relying on it to complete assignments for them, as this hinders their ability to develop critical thinking skills and maintain academic integrity. However, generative AI and other AI technology can be used as tools to supplement education and deepen understanding. This being said, be sure to check your school’s AI policy before using any AI tools to support your learning.
Artificial intelligence isn’t going anywhere, and school is a great time to learn about the technology and understand how to use it responsibly in real-world situations.
Sources
What is generative AI? | IBM.com
The Future is Now: AI Startup Statistics in 2024 | Edgedelta.com
New Data Reveal How Many Students Are Using AI to Cheat | Edweek.org
Duolingo AI: The Future Of Language Learning & Personalization | Duolingoguides.com
15 Best AI Tools for Teachers to Use in 2025 (Free + Paid) | Maestra.ai
