Princeton Day School students may have noticed the initiative that our educators have taken this year to ensure that every student is aware of PDS’s policies on artificial intelligence (AI). As we reach the midpoint of the first academic quarter, students have all been introduced to the AI “level” system, which determines how much AI use is permitted in a given assignment. The ranking level zero indicates that students are not to use AI at all, and as the level increases through numbers zero to four, restrictions on the students’ ability to use AI on their work become more lenient and flexible.
This is a new policy introduced at the start of the year, as returning students may have noted. Princeton Day School has been updating and modifying its AI statements as AI technologies evolve and change. As we begin to navigate this new digital landscape, it is the responsibility of our education coordinators to devise guidelines surrounding student use of AI with academic integrity in mind.
In previous years, when generative AI tools first became widely accessible, PDS’s AI policies were less defined to the student body. The policies were directed to teachers, asking them three questions: Was the educator’s AI use safe, ethical, and effective? This stance made sense at the time, but as Director of Academic Technology and Institutional Research, Ms. Lauren Ledley states, “That was helpful for the time period, but I think what we needed was probably something a little bit more formal and that had more specific rules about how we were going to use AI.” With that realization, it was time for a clearer position on AI.
As the development of AI rapidly evolved, PDS formulated a new guiding question. Ms. Lauren Ledley states, “The question, ‘Did you use AI?’ is actually not a good question. It’s more, ‘How did you use AI?’” What this means for students is that teachers now understand that AI is becoming deeply embedded in society, which is why PDS has even introduced a new Upper School minor: Navigating the Age of AI, designed specifically to discuss and formulate student opinions surrounding AI ethics and application. Thus, instead of prohibiting student usage of AI in its entirety, PDS educators are allowing students to use AI to help them generate ideas or enhance their thinking with proper citation and approval from a teacher. This is a critical conclusion for students, especially those interested in AI development.
AI is advancing, and as a school, we are lucky to have teachers willing to research expansively into student growth with AI and educate students on AI, while still allowing them to formulate opinions on the subject and discuss it with teachers and peers. These technologies will evolve and change, and it is likely our guidelines will be updated in the future. For now, however, we can be appreciative of the clear-cut statements and guidelines we have on AI.
