16 3.3 Discussion
Educators need to develop AI literacy to understand how AI features in educational tools work and support the ethical use of technology by students (Zhang et al., 2022). Teachers introduce students to different tools that help them in the learning process. Some tools have AI embedded in them, but teachers are not aware of it. For example, a language learning tool, Duolingo, supports students with its engaging and gamified approach and includes AI for personalized learning experiences. AI support in Duolingo shows the positive side as it helps students to learn different languages in their own way. Students also interact with different tools, such as social media or various other digital AI platforms like ChatGPT, Quillbot, etc., which creates issues like data privacy, cyberbullying, and plagiarism when students use them unethically at school. Teachers need to know about the incorporation of AI in educational tools and then pass information about it to their students. They need to understand the use of AI in specific tools and how students can use that feature ethically to learn new information. Zammit (2022) explored how secondary schools address ethical concerns about plagiarism, cyberbullying, and discrimination. This highlights an immediate need to teach digital citizenship to students as they engage with AI platforms in their regular routines. Students need to learn how to be a responsible digital citizen and spread positivity around them.
Adam et al. (2023) emphasize that AI ethics policy guidance specific to schooling (K-12 education) has lagged, and policy responses created by policymakers are based more on adults and provide less attention to AI’s impact on children. This leads to significant gaps in the school curriculum of teaching ethics, which challenges students to become digital citizens. Due to these gaps, teachers get insufficient time and support to teach ethics. The impact of AI forces students to forget about basic principles like privacy and fairness. Teachers play an essential role in introducing these principles, but they need more support and a strong policy framework to spread awareness among students. Akgun & Greenhow (2021) highlight that AI applications offer valuable benefits and pose societal and ethical drawbacks that must be addressed. The AI system in K-12 education reinforce discrimination and amplify forms of injustice such as racism, sexism and xenophobia. This also emphasizes the risks associated with educational tools used in the classroom. Students are often asked to use the internet, like using Grammarly, to check spelling or grammar for their homework. Some students need help learning the use of AI in their assignments or avoiding AI when the work is supposed to be done independently. They often need clarification between taking ideas and coping & pasting from AI. The accessibility of AI tools like chatbots and automated writing assistants has made academic dishonesty a growing issue in secondary education (Smyrnaiou et al., 2023).
This misuse of AI emphasizes the need for an immediate approach to AI ethics education where students should learn how to use AI responsibly and avoid the consequences, they must face due to improper use of AI. Artificial intelligence is all around students now, whether inside or outside the school. They are surrounded by it and need to learn how to use it in their lives ethically. Teachers need to be supported by the higher authorities to provide the required education to the students in school.