Last week many questions were raised after the recent community education. The meeting took place in the theatre on Thursday and aimed to educate students on AI usage.

It was led by a spokesperson for Google Gemini, David Soto. Some students questioned if his position gave him a bias in favor of AI. One such student, Zach Rozwood (‘27) commented that “I think the reason they tried to bring him in was so that he could pitch you on the use of AI.” When asked why Dr. Hecox chose Mr. Soto in particular, she explained that “I like the idea of bringing somebody outside the school to talk about AI because even though I do feel like we have good expertise here on campus, sometimes it’s valuable to hear from people who have a different perspective.” Although there’s justification for the speaker himself, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s not here to sell you on using AI.

What the community education did make clear, however, is that AI isn’t going away, and teachers like Dr. Hecox want to ensure that us students understand how to use AI in ways that are meaningful and useful for us.

For those concerned about AI usage, Mr. Ellenbogen brings assurance in saying that “AI is a net positive for Dawson. It opens new opportunities for creativity, problem-solving, and individualized learning, while also serving as a real-life subject of debate and reflection.” 

Dr. Hecox agrees, saying that “I do firmly believe we have an obligation to teach you how AI works and how to use it well so that you’re equipped to go out into the real world.”

Ultimately, the community education made it clear that it is up to the student to discern how they use AI and whether or not they choose to follow Dawson’s guidelines.