Nearly two years ago, tech startup OpenAI launched the now-infamous artificial intelligence program known as ChatGPT. Since then, GPT has only grown in popularity and capabilities, reshaping the world as we know it. Unsurprisingly, no setting has been impacted more than high school. 

Almost immediately after ChatGPT became accessible worldwide, cases of cheating with the program began surfacing. Colleges—and soon after, high schools—began reporting students using the software to complete assignments in mere seconds. What followed was chaos: teachers scrambling to curb AI use, which, ironically, seemed to make it even more widespread. Here at Milton High, the ripple effect led to a new “AI Policy” added to this year’s student handbook. 

In today’s high school environment, students can hardly go a day without hearing about AI. From stern warnings to dire promises, messages discouraging its use—especially for written work—seem to be everywhere. Yet, in a surprising twist, Milton High’s most prominent advocate for artificial intelligence happens to be the director of its English department.

 H Hardie, who heads the English department while teaching English I and Introduction to Law, takes a different approach. While many educators focus on AI’s potential for misuse, Hardie acknowledges that “AI is a reality that’s not going to go away,” embracing its “beneficial and detrimental uses.” 

He especially emphasizes the importance of mastering AI as a workplace skill, noting that it’s something employers increasingly expect. 

This unique passion and perspective emerged from several factors. Hardie attributes his initial fascination towards AI to him simply having an interest in new technologies. Hardie’s daughters have also brought the topic to his attention. He claims that their “employers expect them to be using it on a daily basis.” 

To make artificial intelligence more of an educational tool, Hardie has been participating in creating the high school’s first-ever “AI day.” 

On the fifth of December, each class period will have an artificial intelligence-related lesson. The goal is to increase students' “exposure to aspects of AI they may not have thought of,” and the half-day will educate students and teachers alike. 

For example, Hardie’s English I class will practice using AI for summary and research purposes, and his law class will discuss liability in scenarios of AI use in the medical field. 

Many members of the MHS community may have concerns about the plan as a whole. While Hardie acknowledges that this risks allowing more students to cheat with AI, he also notes that a number of the classes will center around the ethics of artificial intelligence. He remains optimistic, predicting that “students will be receptive to hearing that AI has its beneficial uses.”