Here’s something I have heard a lot in committee meetings and discussions with fellow teachers: “I teach my students how to use artificial intelligence responsibly and ethically because it’s here to stay.” 

And as an early career educator, I typically agreed at first, even though I ban AI usage in my own high school English classroom. But as AI continues to influence education and society at large, I now have serious questions about the ethics of AI use and its validity as a “great equalizer” that bolsters educational outcomes.  

By telling students that they can utilize AI in an ethical manner, too many educators disregard its glaring environmental harms. And if the environmental aspect of this argument is not enough, it is becoming increasingly clear that AI will begin replacing jobs in fields that our students may desire to join.  

Thus, I remain skeptical. There are many unknowns, which is something that all teachers, professionals, legislators and education leaders should reckon with before encouraging AI use.  

For example, I often hear educators telling students how to use AI responsibly and assuring them that what they are doing does not constitute cheating in any capacity. Some teachers are showing students how AI can improve their writing, creative output and research, among many other uses.  

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Drawing the line of right and wrong with AI use is extremely important. I agree that AI can be a tool for general good in a myriad of ways, but I think that the ethical line educational professionals are drawing isn’t clear-cut.  

It is no secret that AI has exploded in its use and influence across the U.S. With this comes the increased use of natural resources, most notably water, in order to cool the large data centers that drive AI expansion. For example, Google used over 6 billion gallons of water for data centers in 2023, its environmental report found, a number that is increasing each year with the creation of more data centers.  

Across the AI industry, many of these centers are located in communities with high water stress, such as those in the southwestern United States, which has consistently experienced significant droughts for decades. Indigenous activists and others are sounding alarms about data centers before communities agree to further development.  

The places most likely to suffer from water stress and other problems related to climate change are often overwhelmingly poor and rural communities in the U.S. and the poorest countries around the world. Touting AI as a transformative tool for students exemplifies our collective ignorance of environmental racism.  

As a rural educator with a working-class background who emphasizes global stories in my classroom, I often ask my students: Who has power in this scenario? Who wins, and who is denied the opportunity to win? Too often, it is vulnerable students, here and abroad, who are undercut in order for the more privileged to benefit. 

Related: OPINION: Educators have the tools but not the training or ethical framework to use AI wisely. And that’s a problem 

I also see AI use in the classroom as particularly troublesome at a time of great concern that cheaper AI models will disrupt the labor market by replacing much human work. Companies such as IBM have reportedly replaced various human resources and learning and development jobs with AI. Other reports predict that there could be a 10 to 20 percent rise in unemployment due to AI, and that AI could replace 9 million human jobs while simultaneously adding 11 million to the market. 

At first glance, this last stat is a net positive for job growth, but what kinds of positions will be eliminated and added? Will entry-level jobs be replaced? Of the possible 11 million jobs added, will they be permanent positions with livable wages, benefits and opportunities for upward growth?  

Although this portion of my argument is speculative, my main concern will always be about student futures. If this scenario is even a remote possibility for students (and I believe it is overwhelmingly likely), why would I want to continue using a tool that could make so many job losses a reality? I refuse to utilize any tool that contributes to the harm or displacement of students in my own community and throughout the world.  

Artificial intelligence as a reality is completely unavoidable, but I refuse to blindly accept its exploitative harms as mere collateral damage for the greater good. In my view, any added stress on the climate or future generations across the world will taint any positivity AI provides.  

Any AI practice or plans within the educational field should, at the very least, acknowledge the complicated reality of its continued use. Students deserve to know about this impact, especially when it is one within their control. Students and their parents should also be made aware of very real privacy concerns that come with using AI. 

If we are to make a concerted effort to care about the environment and social justice while simultaneously encouraging students to use AI, teachers must address what it means to incorporate social justice and best practices in the classroom. 

If teachers tell their students that artificial intelligence can be used ethically, it is imperative to illustrate the entire reality of what that means. Students must understand that while AI might open up doors for some, perhaps even for themselves, it could be at the expense of the environment and vulnerable communities at home and across the globe. 

Darrin Ross teaches secondary English at United Junior Senior High School in rural Illinois and was a Golden Apple State Scholar. In 2025, he received the Illinois State Board of Education’s Award of Excellence for an Early Career Educator.  

Contact the opinion editor at opinion@hechingerreport.org. 

This story about AI and students was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger’s weekly newsletter. 

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