At ILS, the AI policy may be new, but in reality it has been around for quite some time now, making it accessible to anyone who has access to the internet. When it first hit the ground here, students became intrigued at the fact the policy for use had been implemented. You could hear them mumbling across the halls as to how much easier it would make their lives.

As time went on of this new AI policy, an atmosphere of fear emerged amongst students, many of whom had started to come to a realization that AI might be taking over their lives, making them feel hopeless for their future, always depending on AI. They were concerned that AI could be abused taken to a level that could result in no future job. 

“I’ve always been afraid to use AI, even before it became a policy at ILS. I always feared that it would give me false information, but I also knew some of it would be accurate. I know people around me who do use AI as a tool to help study, but I feel like that method would not work for me,” said senior Nicole Gonzalez.

“I used to use AI all the time, but I always had a gut feeling that I would get caught or in trouble for using it to get sources. AI has a lot of benefits, but can also bring you to feel like you are in the wrong for using it because you don’t know what is valid and what is false,” said senior Stetson Angelo. 

AI is not meant to replace humans, but rather to enhance their abilities and improve their quality of life. AI is a tool, just like any other, and its impact depends on how it is used. Slowly but surely, the fear that had gripped many began to dissipate. Students started to see AI in a new light, not as a threat, but as a valuable ally in their daily lives. 

“I never necessarily used AI for everything, but I would mostly use AI to check if my information is correct. I also use AI to see if an answer is correct, and I like to use AI as a reassurance of knowing my information is correct. AI could be scary for some reasons, like getting caught for plagiarism, but it can also be very helpful,” said senior Nicholas Dominguez 

Some students, it appears, have begun to embrace AI, using it to enhance their knowledge in their education, and even in their creativity. They realized that the key to overcoming fear was understanding, and that with knowledge comes empowerment.

So, if you ever feel afraid of using AI, remember to always embrace the technology, learn about it, and discover how it can enrich your life. After all, as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, the only thing to fear is fear itself.