How AI could close the education inequality gap - or widen it

"Franklin's early AI experiments included custom chatbots trained on approved course material, designed to function as tutor-like learning aids. Faculty, including Campbell himself, found they could offload routine administrative tasks to AI, freeing up time for instruction and student support. The school also redesigned assessments, allowing students to use AI to tackle more complex problems that emphasize critical thinking."

""We looked at the integration on how to enrich the learning for students, but also, at the same time, we wanted to see where we could create efficiencies at our school for our teachers," said Will Campbell, head of Franklin School. "We have incredible teachers in our building. How can we give them more time to be even better for our students?""

"A similar philosophy emerged at the university level. Ethan Mollick, Ph.D., a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, added explicit AI-use guidelines to his syllabus as early as January 2023, permitting students to use the technology in all of his classes. Three years later, Mollick has become one of the leading voices advocating for AI in education. He has worked with AI companies, including OpenAI, to develop education guides and authored the New York Times bestselling book Co-Intelligence, which e"

The nation's largest public school system banned ChatGPT months after its late-2022 launch, citing negative effects on student learning and concerns about security and accuracy. Franklin School, a private school in Jersey City opened in 2022, made AI central to its curriculum to enhance teachers' work and deepen student engagement. The school deployed custom chatbots trained on approved materials, used AI to reduce routine administrative tasks, and redesigned assessments to emphasize critical thinking through AI-enabled problem solving. At the university level, professors implemented explicit AI-use guidelines and collaborated with AI companies to develop educational resources.

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