Life at MA

By Danny Shapiro '28 in Winter 2025

Like it or not, generative artificial intelligence is changing the way that we work, think, and learn. However, MA doesn’t have a blanket policy on how students can use the technology for school. Instead, the school relies on teachers and departments to decide and explain when it is okay for students to use AI.  

“The policy would need to change just about every week [if we had one],” said Harrison Shure, the Dean of Academics, who frequently uses ChatGPT for his job. He added, “what is acceptable or good on a lab report could differ from a paper, could differ from a presentation or a slide deck.”

According to a survey conducted by The 1600, the vast majority of respondents have used AI for school. Only a few said that they believed their use of the technology wouldn’t be accepted by their teachers; most of those surveyed said they thought using AI to help write an essay was acceptable. Some respondents noted other ways that it could be used for school, like if a teacher instructs them to use the technology or to define and explain concepts.

However, the vast majority of MA students said they did not completely understand how they are and are not allowed to use artificial intelligence for school, according to survey results. To remedy this, members of MA’s faculty could more frequently explain to their students how they expect generative AI to be used for a given assignment. 

“Teachers should always be making it really clear to students what their expectations are,” Shure said. “This feels just like another component of that.” He also remarked, “I think we need to help students with…literacy in AI. So what it is, how to use it, when to use it and the ethics behind it.” 

It’s time to understand how the technology of the future works.