As AI grows, what policy considerations would I like to see in my school library? (Note: this blog is in response to Week 5 of #8WeeksofSummer‘s question: Every district is grappling with an AI policy. What are important considerations from your perspective?)

Before we create policies, it is a good idea to discuss issues around AI. For example, you cannot be productive at AI without practice (Bauld, 2023). Any new policy should include the importance of practicing using, deciphering, adjusting, and searching for bias. To be clear, practice is for both teachers and students. How can a teacher create an assignment with AI to ensure critical thinking from the class the first time? It takes practice. Bias remains a constant concern because it can be subtle and hidden. Transparency is vitally important to know when you are using AI materials. And, whether you are using AI or not, you must remain morally ethical and make your decisions based on that and not what you do or do not get from AI. More than others in the schoolhouse, school librarians must be sensitive to the student’s needs and help guide them to the best resources for each student.

I asked Microsoft’s Copilot “what are AI policies I need to create for my school library?” (July 7, 2024) Note that all of the links are provided by Copilot.

The two links Copilot provides are to (1) WeAreTeachers.com blog “How To Write an AI Policy for Schools: Examples and Resources” (Juy 28, 2023) and (2) the Craddock & Wilson article referenced below.

As a school librarian, I teach. Therefore, I want to start with “Education and Awareness“. I am not sure we can talk about dos and don’ts until we have established what we are dealing with. We need to teach students and staff about AI capabilities and limitations. We need to teach them about inherent biases, hallucinations (when AI makes up things!), and tracking of data. One of the limitations of using AI for research is that it will often grab information from a blog. There will not be any real data connected to the supposition. Students need to understand how to use a database to find peer-reviewed articles and how to read and understand those articles. They need to decipher the sources of the AI system. (Note: Some AI systems, like Perplexity.ai and Copilot, provide their sources upfront. Many do not.).

Next, I want a policy on “Responsible Use.” We need to show students how to cite AI. Students and teachers also need to practice developing better questions and answers. I want students to understand that the teacher gets to decide when to use it in class or on assignments. I want to help teachers develop more analyses and critical thinking exercises for the students. Responsible use also means understanding that relying on AI to make decisions for students (or teachers) without human oversight is wrong. AI can act as a support mechanism – indeed this is where it shines – but it does not make final decisions or recommendations. Humans, with the appropriate training and experience, are the responsible parties.

Last, I want a policy on “Reporting and Consequences.” While it would be lovely to have students report inappropriate activity with AI, I don’t expect them to take that step. Instead, I want to have a competition to find the most egregious issue they see with AI. Their examples will be better lessons for others than any I could come up with. However, there must be consequences for using AI inappropriately. These consequences should be stated in the Code of Conduct. Until it resides there, we may have to borrow cheating terms to protect students and teachers.

I am trying to organize who in education has artificial intelligence policies. I have not read through them all, but I am skimming to find commonalities. I do not want to reinvent the wheel. To assist in this endevor, I have created a website that organizes some of the material: Collecting AI Policies. Additional resources or comments are welcomed!

References:

Bauld, A. (Aug. 31, 2023). Librarians can play a key role implementing artificial intelligence in schools. School Library Journal (online). https://www.slj.com/story/Librarians-Can-Play-a-Key-Role-Implementing-Artificial-Intelligence-in-Schools

Craddock, I. & Wilson, K. (May 23, 2024). An AI toolbox for librarians. School Library Journal (online). https://www.slj.com/story/an-ai-toolboxlfor-librarians-artificial-intelligence

SLJ Staff. (Nov. 15, 2023). School librarian AI Hacks. School Library Journal (online). https://www.slj.com/story/School-Librarian-AI-Hacks-artificial-intelligence-libraries-education

Office of Educational Technology. Artificial intelligence. Department of Education, US Government. https://tech.ed.gov/ai