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Student representative urges New Jersey State Board to teach ethical use of AI, warns of cheating risks
Summary
Anna Pasquets, a Palmyra High School senior serving as student representative, told the State Board that AI tools can help learning but are increasingly used for cheating; she urged policies teaching ethical, supervised AI use rather than outright bans.
Anna Pasquets, a senior at Palmyra High School, told the New Jersey State Board of Education that artificial intelligence is already reshaping classroom work and urged the board to focus on teaching ethical use rather than banning the tools.
"The paragraph I just read to you was written by an AI website," Pasquets said, reading an example she asked ChatGPT to produce. She told the board that AI can be "both a large resource and a large threat to education," and warned that students increasingly rely on AI to complete assignments and essays. Pasquets said "56 percent of students who use AI said that they are most likely to use it for writing essays and completing various assignments," and said familiarity with ChatGPT among K–12 students rose sharply in the last year.
The board and other members acknowledged both risks and potential classroom benefits. President Kathy Goldenberg thanked Pasquets and said the subject is "a big part of all of our conversations today," noting the board will follow the topic. Board member Marybeth Berry and another participant, Aponte, praised Pasquets for raising the issue and stressed that teachers and school leaders must determine "the best use for AI and how they incorporate that into the curriculum." Aponte said the conversation should include rethinking what counts as cheating and whether students are being resourceful in adopting new technology.
Pasquets described positive classroom uses, saying AI can generate practice tests and explain difficult concepts. "AI can be an incredible studying tool when used correctly," she said, while cautioning that misuse can reduce engagement and erode learning.
Why it matters: Board members framed AI as a pedagogical and policy issue — not solely a disciplinary one — and indicated the state and districts will need guidance on balancing academic integrity and instructional innovation. The board heard the testimony during the January public testimony period and signaled it will continue discussing AI in future sessions.
The State Board also received a Career and Technical Education committee report and other routine business during the meeting; the board's schedule includes a Department of Career and Technical Education presentation in February.
