AI Usage at ASB

ASB's Philosophy on AI

“At American School of Bahrain, our mission is to provide a challenging American and international education that inspires students to pursue their passions, achieve their goals and become responsible global citizens”.

Great learning at our school means helping students grow and succeed academically with the support of their teachers. It takes place in a joyful environment where students feel safe to explore their interests and try new things. It encourages creativity, curiosity, and the use of new ideas and technologies. Great learning also means understanding and respecting different cultures, preparing students to succeed in a global world. It includes a balance of academics, arts, sports, and other activities to help students become well-rounded individuals. Finally, it fosters leadership skills, encouraging students to take on roles that help their community.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and solutions are now everywhere and quickly evolving. These tools can affect us without us even knowing. At ASB, we believe it is very important to use AI in ways that:

• Enhance great learning experiences

• Honor every person’s inherent dignity 

• Promote equity

• Protect privacy

By aligning with our mission and pillars to the below policies, we can ensure that AI supports our vibrant learning community and contributes to the excellence in education we strive for.

Policies governing students' use of AI

Mission Alignment

• Students shall use AI in ways that inspire them to pursue their passions, achieve their goals, and excel in a world shaped by continuous innovation and transformation.

Ethical AI Use

• Students shall use AI safely and ethically. This means:

  • Protecting privacy of self and others.

  • Choosing GenAI systems that are reliable, secure, and approved by the school.

  • Verifying and editing AI outcomes to ensure human oversight on any AI generated information.

  • Be aware of potential biases in AI and take steps to reduce them.

  • Follow all laws, regulations, and school policies when using GenAI.

• Students shall use AI with respect for others. This means:

  • Avoid using AI to create or share inappropriate, offensive, or harmful content, including fake news, deep fakes, or any content that could be used to bully or harass others.

  • Respect others' work and give credit where it's due.

  • Avoid using AI to dehumanize, discriminate, mock, harm, or infringe on the rights of others.

Academic Integrity through Transparency and Accountability

• Students shall not use AI to complete assignments, exams, or any academic tasks meant to be their own work unless communicated with teachers and properly cited in the agreed academic format.

• Students shall not plagiarize or cheat through AI-generated content.

• Students shall use AI in compliance with the School's rules on academic integrity.

• Students shall disclose the use of AI tools and content on their assignments to their teachers.  

Procedures and practices

Ethical Use of AI

• During the first month of school, students in Grades 6 to 12 will review the Acceptable Use Policy guidelines, sign the Responsible Use of Technology agreement, and ensure they understand its content. 

• Students in younger grade levels will engage in multiple activities to help them understand the acceptable uses of technology. 

• Whenever in doubt, students will obtain approval from their teacher about their use of AI.

• Students will engage in school workshops that will help them understand Human Oversight, Bias, and Information Protection. 

Transparency and Accountability

• Students will always document when and how they use AI in their work.

• Students will cite any direct or indirect use of AI in their work according to the school’s academic citing guidelines. 

• Students will use ChatGPT as the primary AI source with the option to “Improve the model for everyone” toggled off.  

• Students must disclose any other tools they use while working on their assignments by completing a form provided by their teachers. 

Provide Informed Consent 

• At the beginning of each academic year, parents and students will receive information about the AI systems in use before signing consent forms. 

The school's Responsibility

In return, the school will ensure:

• The Ethical Use of AI by Staff, Students, and Parents: We need to use AI in a way that considers both the good and the bad. This means thinking about how AI helps us and what risks it might have.

• Monitoring AI: We will observe how AI is used at our school. This includes checking how well it works and making sure our data is safe.

• The Protection of Our Community: We want to make sure AI doesn't harm anyone and that it helps our school community without causing problems.

• Promoting Human Control: People should always be in control when using AI. We need to watch out for any unfairness in AI, like biases based on race, gender, or religion.

• Data Privacy: We will make sure that chosen and approved AI systems keep our data private and secure. This includes checking how AI uses data and setting rules for its use.

• Usage of Safe and Reliable AI: We will use AI that is safe and works well. This is important for making sure AI helps us learn without any issues.

• Fair and Inclusive AI Tools: We will use AI systems that are fair and include everyone. This means no discrimination, making sure everyone has access, and personalizing learning for each student.

• Providing Training and Support: We will provide training to help everyone use AI responsibly. This includes understanding how AI works and what to do if there are any problems.

• Promotion of Digital Literacy: We will teach students how to use AI tools ethically. This means understanding that AI can sometimes give wrong information, create fake quotes, use copyrighted materials without permission, and include biased data.

• Transparency in Communication: We will provide guidelines, policies, and channels of communication to: 

  • Ensure that all community members disclose the usage of AI tools.

  • Communicate any issues or concerns regarding the usage of AI tools. 

school's AI Interesting Resources & Articles

• 10 AI Tools for Teachers the Won't Believe Are Free (Published Aug. 21, 2024)

• Kids who use ChatGPT as a study assistant do worse on tests (Published Sep. 11, 2024)

• Introducing OpenAI o1-preview: What Teachers Should Know (Published Sept. 13, 2024)