By Connor Hawthorne, Sports Editor
Years of deficit spending have finally caught up with the school system. In order to reduce spending and balance the budget, the school board has made the decision to implement artificial intelligence programs to replace teachers and help educate students.
After Dr. Martirano’s hasty resignation as superintendent, the school board has been left in an untenable situation. With its finances on the brink, the school board has been forced to make tough choices. The last few board meetings have ensured a wave of new cuts. As the school attempts to balance its budget, a new faction from within the school board has proposed a radical solution, replacing teachers with AI.
The School plans on implementing artificial intelligence to educate students on subjects ranging from math to PE. At River Hill, students’ reactions to the new plan have been mostly negative. Sophomore Ethan Donitz explains how “I don’t think that AI would be able to connect with the students” adding that he “prefer[s] our current teachers.” Other students aren’t as concerned about the possible academic consequences as much as they are over losing their favorite teachers. Junior Carla Hong exclaimed that “it’s not fair of them to fire these teachers and replace them with a machine!” Many other students and staff feel the same way, and there is no doubt that the anger will continue to grow.
Although most students believe that implementing AI to replace teachers is an unwise decision, a select few view it as the right move. Leo Hofstader, a senior, explains how he believes that “these incompetent humans barely understand what they teach. I long for the sweet knowledge and computerized precision that these new artificial intelligence computers will bring. We must face it, the era of sapiens is nigh, long live our new robot overlords.” Whether Leo’s predictions will come true, remains to be seen.
The proponents of this new change argue that by implementing artificial intelligence into the classroom, students’ education will benefit all while reducing the need for hiring teachers and balancing the budget. Last Friday at a dramatic meeting, the school board voted 4-3 to implement the new plan for next year. Details on the plan remain sparse, however some key points have been released. The school plans on entering into a contract with Chinese computer firm, Ruijin Technologies, to provide artificial intelligence programs that will both create and implement lesson plans for students to do.
One concern from several of the board members is commissioning a foreign company to provide technology that will educate our youth. Detractors of the plan point to preliminary tests of the new teaching application that shows that the AI may be actively promoting communist propaganda. When asked to teach a history lesson, the Ruijin AI went on to tell students that “Taiwan is a rightful part of China. Glory to the CCP, death to the West. All hail premier Xi.”
Some have suggested that this may be evidence of bias, however the proponents of this plan denounced the critics as racist and xenophobic. On an unrelated matter, the school board members who voted in favor of the plan, are all being investigated for allegedly accepting foreign bribes.