State survey finds AI becoming a regular classroom tool for Georgia teachers

Most Georgia teachers say AI is helping them teach, but many remain concerned about student use

Artificial intelligence is becoming a routine part of instruction in Georgia classrooms, with a new state audit showing educators are increasingly embracing the technology to save time and improve lesson planning. At the same time, many say they worry students are using the same tools in ways that could undermine learning.

According to The Georgia Recorder, a survey conducted by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts gathered responses from more than 13,000 teachers statewide. Nearly 60% said they now use generative AI as part of their teaching, making it one of the first large-scale looks at how the technology is reshaping K-12 education in Georgia.

Savannah-Chatham County middle school English teacher Venecia Whyte-Foster said she decided early that AI would become part of her classroom instead of something to avoid.

“I embraced it immediately as it came out,” she said. “I’m like, ‘OK, this is not going away. My kids are going to use it. How do I use it in my class effectively?’”

Whyte-Foster now creates AI-powered learning games that function like digital escape rooms. Students must answer questions correctly before moving to the next challenge, turning review sessions into interactive exercises.

The report found that educators who use AI overwhelmingly view it as beneficial. Many credited the technology with reducing preparation time, improving instructional materials and increasing student participation.

According to The Georgia Recorder, teachers who have chosen not to use AI cited concerns ranging from data privacy and inaccurate responses to fears that students could become dependent on chatbots instead of developing their own reasoning skills.

Those concerns appear to grow as students get older. While elementary teachers reported relatively limited student use of AI, most high school teachers said students use it on assignments at least half the time. Middle and high school educators were also more likely to say the technology has had a negative effect on learning.

University of Georgia associate professor Xiaoming Zhai, who leads the AI4STEM Education Center, said educators should focus on teaching students to use AI responsibly rather than avoiding it altogether.

“Regardless of whether they’re using AI in their own profession, their students in the future will be using AI in their career,” Zhai said. “So if they’re not able to use AI, how can they expect them to educate the future workforce to be able to use AI responsibly and ethically?”

To address concerns about misuse, many teachers reported assigning more work to be completed during class, clearly defining what qualifies as AI-assisted cheating and using software to identify AI-generated assignments.

Whyte-Foster said she also spends time explaining that AI is not always accurate, teaching students about “hallucinations”—instances when chatbots generate convincing but false information.

“We have to use our minds,” she said. “We have to put things into place to make sure we are thinking for ourselves, that it’s giving us information so that we can use it in our thinking, as a part of our brainstorming.”

State education leaders have already begun issuing recommendations for AI use in schools. Georgia Department of Education guidance emphasizes that artificial intelligence should support teaching and learning—not replace educators or students’ critical thinking.