Wake County Schools have decided to ban ChatGPT on all Wake County Chromebooks. But is this ban really helping students, or is it actually hurting them? Since AI is still available, students are finding ways to use it anyway, and some people worry that we’re preventing students from using and learning about a tool they’ll need in certain scenarios. We’re going to look at both sides. Is the ban keeping us honest, or just holding us back?
Some students think that the ban is harmful. For instance, students can use ChatGPT a lot to get immediate help with hard concepts, explaining grammar, or studying for a test. For them, it’s like a private teacher they can always ask questions to without being judged. Another thing is that sometimes, the new AI detector tools that schools use to catch cheating make mistakes and wrongly flag high-quality, human-written work as being AI generated. One of those many students who thinks this is Sophie Kimbark.
“I think it can be more harmful because Chat GPT was helpful for me personally for quizzing myself for classes. Not exactly for cheating but for extra support.” Says Kimbark.
On the other hand, many students think that the ban is effective because if students can instantly get a full polished essay or a complete problem solution, they skip the entire process of thinking, brainstorming, researching, and more. One student who agrees with this is Rylan McGlaughlin.
“I think it’s good because it gives people like me who don’t use ChatGPT a fair chance, like writing essays or doing homework, it gives everybody the same playing field, and allows them to do their own work.” McGlaughlin says.
In the end, the debate over banning ChatGPT in Wake County schools reflects a bigger question about how we should handle new technology in education. While some argue the ban protects fairness and encourages original thinking, others feel it blocks access to a powerful tool that could help students learn and succeed. Whether the ban is truly helpful or just holding back students will depend on how schools choose to adapt to AI in the future.
