Letters to the Editor: When teachers rely on AI, they replace connection with convenience
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To the editor: As a high school English teacher for more than 33 years, I am appalled by art teacher Joyce Hatzidakis’ statement that she uses AI chatbots to “clean up” her communications with parents (“How AI adoption is accelerating across American workplaces,” Jan. 26). She describes scribbling her words, not worrying about what she says, then giving the chatbot the tone she wants.
Reading and writing are core skills for every subject, even art, and teaching writing is challenging because writing is about thinking. But Hatzidakis has dismissed the skill of thinking as optional in her correspondence with parents. Her relief that she’s getting fewer parent complaints in conjunction with her dependence on AI should concern those parents and the wider community. Complaints are opportunities to learn, and genuine parent communication is key to student success.
Hatzidakis is apparently willing to sacrifice connection for convenience. And how will students learn to think critically when teachers refuse to learn this skill as well?
Maggie Light, Carpinteria
