In history teacher Christopher Reilsono’s new elective about AI education and use, students have had the opportunity to develop video games using a tool called Base44.
“It was just pretty cool that it did so easily something that previously you would have to have tons of years of preparation learning how to program,” Reilsono said. “We are living in this age where you can just think it, and it’ll make it.”
Students have been able to make games similar to Pokémon Go or based on sports.
“I made a track game, like track and field, where you would race another guy, and it only took me maybe two minutes to make it with AI,” junior Logan Briesinger said.
The creation doesn’t stop at just games. Some students have been able to make apps such as one that analyzes data and monitors the user’s eco-friendly habits.
“The things that they were able to come up with just blew me away,” Reilsono said, citing in particular sophomore Cohen Brink.
“He’s very much into the environment. He came up with this app that would tell you not only your score as far as the products you use, but your daily habits and where you score as far as being green and the scores of the companies that you support,” Reilsono said.
Brink said that the environment is important to him, which inspired him to create the app.
“I have always loved the environment and thought it was really important,” Brink said. “When I heard that we were making an app, I knew it would be a good opportunity.”
Students who take the class have the opportunity to work with various AI tools, like ChatGPT, Sora AI, Base44 and various other platforms.
“The craziest thing about AI is that just when you think you’ve found the best vehicle to use it, something comes out the next day that makes it even easier and is even more impressive,” Reilsono said.
Students have been learning not only about how to use AI, but also what goes on behind the scenes to power it.
“The technology behind AI definitely surprised me, and it’s just amazing how it can use numbers to learn everything that we use in daily life,” Breisinger said. “The math and science behind it is kind of challenging if you want to work with the companies that actually make it.”
Junior Michael Fey said he thinks it is important to learn about AI.
“In 20 years, AI is going to be everywhere,” Fey said. “There are people who do not know much about it, and it is good for us to learn about it now.”
Reilsono thinks it’s important for students to know their way around using AI tools and how they can help students without hurting their education.
“I want it to be a tool that they can use as an extension of themselves,” Reilsono said. “It’s important to show them the proper ways to use it – how to use it and where.”
Breisinger agreed.
“A lot of students already use it, but I feel like more schools should offer a class for students to know how to use it the right way,” Breisinger said. “There are definitely concerns about its restrictions and how it has access to almost the entire internet. It can be used for malicious intent.”
Reilsono recognizes the imperfections of AI and hopes students do as well.
“The problem with AI is that, while it’s great, it isn’t perfect. There’s times where it’s wrong, but it thinks it’s telling you the right information,” he said.
This phenomenon is called AI hallucination.
“Sometimes it’ll spit out a list of books for you to read and those books don’t exist. It also doesn’t do math very well,” Reilsono said. “It’s one of those things where trusting is good, but not trusting is even better.”
But he does not think its problems are a reason to avoid it entirely.
“It’s incredibly fascinating and also incredibly scary,” Relisono said. “I hope it’s something that will benefit them not only during their time here at BHS, but beyond – to give them a preview of the future and set them up to be as successful as possible.”
