When people talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI) in schools, the conversation usually starts and ends with cheating. The pushback is understandable, as generative AI tools, such as Microsoft’s Copilot or OpenAI’s ChatGPT, can write essays and solve calculus faster than you can say “academic integrity.” Because of student misuse, we’ve been quick to label the use of AI as unethical and, as a result, have overlooked some of AI’s best qualities. Utilized correctly, AI is a powerful tool that can benefit both students and teachers. To understand the hype and fear, it helps to know how generative AI actually works. Generative AI predicts what words, images, or code would come up next in a sequence based on patterns learned from data. This autocomplete-like quality allows AI to do sophisticated tasks like solving math problems step by step or providing an in-depth literary analysis. These functions can provide academic assistance when teachers cannot. Staff Writer Gaia Saraf wrote the...