MACON, Ga. — Artificial intelligence has been a big topic, especially for schools.
Here in Bibb County, though, schools are embracing artificial intelligence in the classroom.
It's a common phrase to say kids have the world in their hands nowadays.
According to a study at Harvard, artificial intelligence has been around since the 1950s but, in the past few years, its capabilities have grown significantly.
With the evolution of technology and the digital shift from textbooks to e-books, artificial intelligence has made its way to the classrooms.
The Bibb County School District's superintendent Dan Sims came back from a two-day AI conference. Sims said he got to learn about AI's role in education and what that looks like in today's classrooms.
For students, this could be a tool that does more good than bad, Sims said.
"It's so much that's out there in the world of AI that's going to help us do things even better," Sims said. "It's just a matter of us being smart about how AI can switch what teaching and learning looks like."
Sims noticed the concern of students lacking academic integrity, but after the conference, he saw AI as an opportunity to help students grow.
"Artificial intelligence can give me back time that I use on certain tasks to focus on something bigger, and I think the same thing can happen for our students," Sims said. "We have people in our district who are actively using artificial intelligence in order to enhance their jobs."
Heather Van Atta teaches social studies at Central High School.
"It's super super helpful and it makes them more confident after they figure it out," Van Atta said.
This is her first year teaching at Central High School and says even in the basic classes, AI is becoming more of an interactive tool.
"I thought it'd be a really cool thing for the students that can't really draw to have this option of using AI to get their ideas and show their knowledge in a fun way," Van Atta said. "The fun things you do with these kids, those are the things that they're going to remember. They're not going to bring up history at a party, unless it's a fun history lesson they had in class."
Van Atta says taking time to understand and relate to the student can help gain that trust.
"Using that technology is really helpful because that's what they're used to," Van Atta said. "They're used to being on the receiving end of the technology, but when they're able to create it, it's a really cool thing for them."
Van Atta mentioned that students and educators can use AI to teach and learn in a more fun and interactive way.
"We're encouraging students to read, we're trying to encourage students to build those literacy skills, but at the same time, I don't think it's a bad idea to use tools like AI to help them," Van Atta said.
When it comes to the parents and teachers, the district said schools are trying to eliminate the concerns of plagiarism and security.