AI in the Classroom

A Double-Edged Sword for Our Scholars 

By Nicole Cush –

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here, and it’s not going away. As an educator, community advocate, and lifelong learner, I’ll admit—AI has become one of my most valuable tools. I use it to brainstorm ideas, clarify concepts, and explore perspectives I might not have considered.

When I was still a sitting principal, we had to grapple with the heightened level of academic dishonesty that was occurring with this new technology we knew little about. I took a firm stance of fighting it, until a friend invited me to a solid fifteen-minute, nonjudgmental demonstration of Chat GPT, in a bar. I acquiesced, sipped my wine, and my mind was blown. Just as I had begun my educational journey learning from my scholars who had the time and energy to devote to such cool tech, I swiftly learned that, in many ways, AI can be a game-changer for education, opening doors for scholars to access resources, explanations, and inspiration instantly.

But as much as I admire its capabilities, I have deep concerns about how it’s being used in the classroom—especially in communities where gross educational inequities already exist. My worry is not about AI itself, but about what happens when we rely on it without building the foundational skills that allow our scholars to truly think, discern, and create for themselves.

Critical thinking is not optional. It’s a muscle that must be exercised, stretched, and challenged. If scholars lean too heavily on AI to do their work, they risk losing the ability to wrestle with ideas, ask hard questions, and draw informed conclusions. When AI becomes a shortcut instead of a supplement, we risk raising a generation of brilliant technology users who lack the intellectual fortitude to navigate a complex world typified by change.

Let’s be honest—copy-and-paste culture was already a concern before AI. I spent a good part of my career teaching The Research Paper to hundreds of high school juniors. The Elements of Style and MLA Handbook flowed through my very being as an educator, and I proudly rocked it. In college, I had a buddy who was expelled from Harvard for plagiarism. I take this stuff pretty seriously.

Now, the temptation is even greater. Scholars can ask a chatbot for an essay, a math solution, or even a speech, and get it instantly. But without reading, processing, and reflecting on that information, they’re not truly learning—they’re outsourcing their thinking. That’s dangerous, because discernment is not built through instant answers. It’s built through the struggle of processing, questioning, and making meaning from the information we encounter.

It is the engagement of trying, failing, and trying again. As a sitting principal, I created a weekly series entirely devoted to exploring the concept of Productive Struggle and Developing a Growth Mindset. The skills required to understand and engage in this process are basic and very necessary.

In the Black community, our ancestors survived, resisted, and thrived because they knew how to think critically, speak with clarity, and communicate with conviction. Literacy was not just about reading words—it was about reading the world. When our young people lose touch with that foundational literacy, we risk losing not just academic skills, but a cultural legacy of intellectual resilience.

This is not a call to reject AI. I believe we should embrace it—responsibly. AI can be an amazing tool when used as a partner in the learning process rather than a crutch. But it’s on us—educators, parents, mentors, and community leaders—to make sure our children still learn how to read deeply, write thoughtfully, speak confidently, and think independently. Teachers have to be more creative in the outcomes they seek in working with this constant new tech flow of energy.

My call to action is simple: Parents, please read (books and articles, not doom-scrolling and social media) and model it for their scholars. Parents, please develop a regular reading schedule with their scholars. Lastly, do not allow a scholar to handle a remote control or cellular device until they can read a book from cover to cover and discuss it thoughtfully.

Let’s encourage our scholars to learn as much as possible, from as many sources as possible—including AI—but never lose sight of the skills that make us fully human. Reading with comprehension, processing ideas, engaging in thoughtful discussion, and expressing feelings clearly are not optional—they are essential. Technology will continue to evolve, but discernment, wisdom, and critical thinking are . . . critical! After all, it’s not just about having the right answers—it’s about knowing how to find the truth.

Nicole Cush, retired 30 year educator, is the founder and executive director of The Glitter Sisters Inc.