STUART, Fla. — As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into daily life, school districts are grappling with whether to embrace it or keep it at arm’s length.
In Martin County, the school district has made its stance clear: AI is not going away—and they’re preparing staff and students to use it responsibly.
WATCH: District's approach sparks mixed reactions among parents
Last year, the Martin County School District rolled out a policy aimed at managing how artificial intelligence is used in schools. Superintendent Michael Maine says the decision wasn’t made lightly.
“We’ve embraced AI. There’s an AI ambassador at every single school. We have provided additional training for those AI ambassadors,” Maine explained. “We practice students being very safe and the proper use of the AI apps that we have approved.”
He believes the technology, when used correctly, can enhance learning.
“It’s not going away and as educators we’re in the world to educate, so let’s use it to educate,” said Maine.
But the district's approach has sparked mixed reactions among parents.
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“Definitely some uncertainty there, but I am keeping an open mind about it,” added Brianna Lorenz, a parent in the district.
“I think in the long run it’s going to hurt them, so that’s one of my concerns. You know, they’re not doing the extra work to find their answers,” said Brett Belade, a father of school-aged children.
Chris Robbins, another father, said, “I think it’s an advantage to use it and leverage it in the school so that we’re not—it’s not a cheating mechanism, it’s not a way to get around learning, it's a way to actually leverage and embrace the learning process.”
Maine explained the key is using AI in a way that ensures students are learning the material, which means teachers have to think one step ahead of potential cheating.
“It’s up to the teacher to say, assume that’s going to happen. You now have to create questions and things and allow that student to present to the class, so you know they’ve mastered the content that they put into ChatGPT,” he said.
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While some parents support the district’s proactive strategy, they still stress the need for caution.
“I think it’s definitely something that can be utilized for the good, but it definitely needs, like, boundaries and regulations,” Lorenz said.
“I think embracing it and being a part of it, utilizing it, is the way to go,” added Robbins.
Still, not every parent is sold on the idea.
“For me and my wife we would probably want them not to be using as much AI as they are,” Belade said.
The district hopes continued training and communication will ease concerns as AI becomes a more prominent part of education.
We also heard from the superintendents in Indian River and St. Lucie counties. This year, both districts are training administrators and teachers on AI, largely focused on improving efficiency and teaching kids how to ethically use AI platforms.