A few weeks ago, we took a look at generative AI’s potential to change teaching and learning on college campuses around the country. This week, I spoke with experts and educators in K-12 to see what they think about these new tools. Benjamin W. Cottingham, associate director of strategic partnerships at Stanford University’s Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), who recently co-authored a brief urging school districts to use this summer to develop clear guidance on AI use, said there’s little evidence right now that AI detection tools are effective. “It’s maybe a tired cliche, but it’s kind of like the wild west right now,” he said. PACE’s Cottingham recommends some low-risk ways of using the tool, such as for helping students understand misuses of AI, like plagiarizing, or for drafting essay outlines. Cottingham said he’s seen teachers encourage students to use ChatGPT or other generative AI chatbots to help write a first draft of a report, but then require them to write the full essay in class without the tool.