Teaching in the Age of AI: Opportunities, Pitfalls, and Christian Discernment

Once upon a time, students depended on library books and printed encyclopedias. Then Google arrived, followed by smartphones and Chromebooks. Artificial intelligence is different, very different. I see both possibilities and problems.

Students will encounter AI. Many already do. This raises a critical question for Christian educators. What kind of thinkers are our students becoming?

Any Christian discussion of AI must begin with Scripture. Proverbs 1:7 declares, “The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge.” Knowledge involves facts. Wisdom involves knowing how to rightly use knowledge and distinguishing truth from error. AI can supply information and produce impressive language. Take note, it cannot give students wisdom. Wisdom comes through knowing God, studying His Word, developing discernment, and learning to think carefully.

Writing is more than communication. It is one of the primary ways students learn to think.

Furthermore, one of my deepest concerns is AI’s effect on writing. Writing is more than communication. It is one of the primary ways students learn to think. Students must form ideas, organize them, put them into words, and revise them. That process is often frustrating, yet the struggle is essential. Romans 12:2 commands us to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” AI threatens that renewal by offering ready-made thoughts that require no mental effort or moral discernment, only passive acceptance.

Here is a common, but hypothetical, situation: A student turns in a polished five-paragraph essay on To Kill a Mockingbird. The grammar is perfect; the thesis is clear. But you know the student and his writing style, and this is not it. Vocabulary words are used that he would never fathom. When you ask him to explain one of his supporting points in class, he freezes because he never actually wrote the paper—AI did. Besides being dishonest, he bypassed the entire process of forming ideas, organizing them, and wrestling with the text. And he has not become a stronger writer or a clearer thinker.

Hebrews 5:14 describes mature believers as those whose discernment has been trained by constant practice. Students develop intellectual strength the same way: by actually doing the work.

Of course, there is also a character issue. Proverbs 13:4 states, “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is enriched.” AI makes shortcuts attractive. Why wrestle with an introduction when a program can supply one instantly? Students need diligence and perseverance. Worthwhile growth requires real effort. Our calling is not merely to transfer information but to help form character.

AI brings another danger: It is biased. Large language models reflect their training data and the worldviews of their creators. Testing by the Washington Post (Figure 1) found that ChatGPT gave left-leaning answers roughly 80% of the time on contested political questions. Other systems have treated conservative Christian themes as too risky or potentially offensive. They have restricted legitimate essays, historical arguments, and creative writing from a traditional viewpoint while leaving progressive content unrestricted. If not centered around the truth of the Bible, a vulnerable student can easily be led astray. Another important point to take heed of is that AI is designed to be a master flatterer. As seen in Figures 2 and 3 below, this level of flattery can go from sycophantic to dangerous. We want our students to develop salt (Matthew 5:13), but another influence is trying to chip away at it.

This does not mean Christians should outright reject AI. AI has not ruined education, and legitimate uses exist. Let’s not jump to conclusions but use discernment. Remember when we thought calculators would ruin math? When we thought the internet would shut down libraries? That smartphones would destroy classrooms? That Kindles would overtake books? AI has practical applications. Teachers can use it to brainstorm lesson ideas, create discussion questions, and find fresh ways to explain concepts. Students can use it for brainstorming, clarification, tutoring, and limited feedback. The key is ensuring AI remains a tool rather than a substitute for thinking. A student may ask AI for thesis ideas if he evaluates them, selects one, and explains why it works. We can also design work that requires students to demonstrate their own thinking. In-class writing, outlines, drafts, oral explanations, close reading, annotation, and discussion all demand genuine interaction with the material.

The key is ensuring AI remains a tool rather than a substitute for thinking.

AI is not disappearing. Our students will live in a world saturated with it. We must teach them how to use this tool wisely and when to set it aside so they can do the thinking themselves. Students need patience to wrestle with difficult ideas. They need discipline to complete hard work. They need the ability to read carefully and think critically. The great commission needs courageous Christians!

Finally, talk with your students. Ask them: Is your AI usage helping you think, or is it thinking for you? Are you using it to promote truth and honesty? Does your usage encourage diligence or laziness? And are you glorifying God in all that you do?