Since the likes of “Terminator”, “Tron” or the “Matrix” came out in the late twentieth century, the fear of technology taking over and becoming a threat to humanity has grown exponentially. However, FHN engineering teacher Michael Green believes these fears can be summed up as mass hysteria about something people don’t truly understand.

 “The term AI is Hollywood,” Green said. “The fear people have about it comes from all the false media being produced about it. AI has its limits and will only work with a human being the one programming it.” 

The fear about AI isn’t just limited to what people see in the media. AI has been slowly affecting the way school work has to be graded in classes such as ELA in recent years. With new programs that allow students to get answers or even write full essays for them, it’s becoming more and more difficult for teachers to distinguish what work is actually student made.

 “I feel like we are using technology more and more and if we have an assignment where students have to type something out I’ve heard of programs that can type up essays or give you answers to questions super fast,” ELA teacher Kristen Johnson said. “I tested one of these programs out and it gave me a full essay within a few minutes.”

 Another difficulty arising from the growth of these programs is the fact that it’s difficult for a teacher to properly address the situation. Since it doesn’t show if a student used one of these programs when they submit work, it makes it difficult for teachers to accuse their students of cheating if they have no concrete evidence.

 “It’s going to be tricky to have those conversations if I ever have suspicions,” Johnson said. “If it becomes an issue, I might have to pull any hand written work they’ve given me and then compare and contrast them so I have a valid reason to address it.”

 While it’s understandable that the growth of AI could be concerning, it’s important to remember that AI is only as smart as us humans make it. AI will always have flaws just like any other man made creation. It’s important to embrace the growth of this new technology as something humans can use to their benefit.

“When it comes down to it, AI was created by humans, it depends on us humans to exist and will only work with a human running its code,” Green said.