Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how students think, learn and manage their academic workloads, prompting new conversations at Fieldston about what it means to build genuine cognitive strength in an age of automated support. The AI world is vast and can be used in many different ways; from brief spell check to ChatGPT, which can understand and generate human-like text as well as form conversations.
Teachers at Fieldston say that AI use has become routine, especially for brainstorming and structuring assignments. English teacher Annette Stoller says she sees both promise and risk: “I wish students wouldn’t use AI at all because school is the purpose of education, especially in high school, is to develop ideas of what you study or read, not something/someone else’s thinking.” Stoller adds, “I can see why a doctor or science researcher would use it for independent studies to eliminate extra work, but a young, undeveloped mind should be testing out their own writing within their own mind.”
Researchers studying digital cognition report similar findings. Many recent studies show that AI-assisted writing can help speed up planning and improve organization, but relying too heavily on chatbots may reduce learning ability because students skip important thinking steps. Upper School Head of Technology Les Jonson states, “We are seeing AI use all the way through grades 4th-12th. We see positives and negatives with AI. In the lower schools, they use AI for image creation and stylistic work, while the middle and upper school uses it for academic practice.” Johnson believes “cheating and utilizing [AI] heavily for essays is unacceptable. I think ECFS has been cautious about its exploration, but we are currently at the curiosity stage. We are being slow at the adoption of it, which is a good thing, an emerging field that is constantly changing.”
Some teachers have adjusted their assignments to account for the new digital landscape. More in-class writing, oral assessments and process-driven tasks now appear in coursework across departments. English teachers emphasize personal voice and argumentation, which AI struggles to replicate, while science teachers focus on lab-based reasoning that depends on real-time analysis rather than AI-generated explanations.
The broader educational concern is cognitive offloading, a term researchers use to describe relying on technology to store or process information and perform skills people used to do themselves. Light cognitive offloading can free mental bandwidth for higher-level thinking, but heavy reliance can erode memory formation and problem-solving resilience. Psychologists warn that students who consistently defer to AI may find it harder to build the stamina needed for sustained focus.
Fieldston faculty say the goal is not to ban AI but to teach students to use it responsibly. Workshops, advisory discussions and classroom guidelines encourage students to treat AI as a tool rather than a replacement for thinking. Teachers also remind students that academic integrity requires original reasoning, not rephrased algorithmic output.
Students are beginning to engage with these questions on their own. Many say AI is most helpful when used sparingly, such as to clarify instructions, generate study questions or summarize difficult readings. Others feel conflicted, noting that AI can reduce stress but sometimes makes them second-guess their abilities.
As AI becomes more advanced and accessible, Fieldston continues to explore how best to help students maintain strong cognitive habits. The school’s commitment to ethical technology use, independent thinking and academic integrity shapes every part of this conversation.
For now, the question facing Fieldston is not whether AI will influence cognitive ability but how students will choose to engage with it. Their decisions will determine whether AI becomes a crutch or a catalyst for deeper learning.
