AI Use Expands in Georgia Classrooms as Teachers Balance Benefits and Risks

• Nearly 60% of Georgia teachers reported using AI for classroom tasks or lesson preparation.
• Most educators using AI said it saves time and improves instructional materials.
• Teachers expressed concern that students may rely too heavily on AI for assignments.

Artificial intelligence is becoming part of everyday teaching in Georgia classrooms, with many educators using it to prepare lessons and create learning materials rather than treating it as an experimental technology.

A new statewide audit found that teachers largely view AI as a tool that improves efficiency, even as they continue to wrestle with questions about student learning, academic integrity, and responsible classroom use.

Teachers Turn to AI for Lesson Planning

A report released by Georgia’s Department of Audits and Accounts found that 59% of surveyed teachers now use generative artificial intelligence for instructional work. The findings are based on responses from more than 13,000 teachers across the state.

Lesson preparation remains the most common use. Among educators who use AI, 95% said they rely on it for instructional planning at least a few times each year, while more than half said they incorporate the technology into lesson preparation every week.

Nearly 90% of teachers already using AI reported a positive effect on their work. Many said the technology saves time, improves classroom materials, and helps increase student engagement. At the same time, grading remains an area where educators remain cautious. Almost two-thirds of respondents said they never use AI to evaluate student work.

One educator highlighted in the report, Savannah-Chatham County middle school English teacher Venecia Whyte-Foster, said she adopted AI early and now uses customized chatbots that guide students through interactive classroom activities designed around course concepts.

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Fresh Obstacles in the Classroom Stemming from Student AI Adoption

While many teachers have embraced AI as a planning tool, the report shows they are less comfortable with how students are using the technology.

Elementary school teachers reported relatively limited student use, but adoption increases significantly in middle and high school. A majority of high school teachers said students use AI to complete assignments at least half of the time.

Many educators believe that excessive reliance on AI could weaken critical thinking skills and encourage academic dishonesty. Others also pointed to concerns surrounding inaccurate AI-generated information, privacy, and broader ethical questions.

To manage those risks, more than half of surveyed teachers said they require students to complete more work in class. About half also said they clearly define acceptable AI use and explain when using the technology crosses into cheating. Additionally, 43% reported using software designed to detect AI-generated assignments.

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Guidance Continues to Evolve

The audit found that access to AI guidance varies across school districts. Around two-thirds of teachers said they had received guidance on AI use, while 70% reported participating in AI-related training. However, 27% said they had received neither training nor formal guidance, with gaps appearing more frequently in higher-poverty districts.

Georgia currently has no statewide law governing AI use in K-12 education. Instead, the Georgia Department of Education has issued best-practice guidance after appointing an AI ethics and impact officer in early 2025.

State education officials have stressed that AI should support teachers rather than replace them. The audit suggests many educators are following that approach, using the technology to streamline preparation while continuing to rely on classroom instruction and teacher oversight to develop students’ critical thinking skills.