AI at ACS: A Guide for Parents & Carers
Artificial intelligence, often shortened to AI, is part of our everyday lives. Students encounter it in search engines, games, social media, creative tools, and increasingly in learning.
At ACS International Schools, our approach to AI is thoughtful, cautious, and human centred. We see AI as something students need to understand, question, and use responsibly, rather than something to fear or use uncritically.
This page is designed to support parents and carers, with a particular focus on how to talk with your child about AI use at school and beyond.
What do we mean by AI?
AI refers to computer systems that can generate text, images, audio, code, or recommendations by identifying patterns in large amounts of data.
Tools such as chatbots, image generators, recommendation systems, and automated feedback tools all use forms of AI.
AI systems do not think, understand, or make judgments in the way humans do. They generate outputs based on probability, patterns, and prior data. This is why human oversight, critical thinking, and ethical judgment remain essential.
Why does ACS engage with AI at all?
AI is already shaping the world our students are growing up in. Avoiding it altogether would leave young people unprepared. Our responsibility is to help students:
- Develop critical awareness of how AI works and where it can go wrong.
- Use AI in ways that support learning rather than replace it.
- Protect their voice, creativity, and integrity.
- Understand the ethical, social, and environmental implications of new technologies.
This approach aligns with ACS Opportunity Statements on Ethics and Academic Integrity (used by staff), which emphasise human dignity, fairness, transparency, and responsibility in the age of AI.
Using AI
at ACS
How is AI used at ACS?
Academic integrity and AI
Safeguarding, privacy, and wellbeing
Talking to your child about AI: practical tips
One of the most important things parents and carers can do is keep the conversation open. You do not need to be a technical expert. Curiosity and values matter more than technical detail. Here are some prompts and approaches that can help.
Ask your child how they are using AI
- What tools do you see your friends using?
- Have you ever used AI for homework or revision?
- What do you think it is good at, and what is it bad at?
Focus on learning, not just rules
- Did using AI help you understand something better, or did it just save time?
- Could you explain the work without the tool?
- What would your teacher expect you to be able to do independently?
Reinforce human values
- Your ideas, experiences, and voice matter
- Making mistakes and revising work is part of learning
- Struggle can be productive and meaningful
Talk about risks and responsibilities
- AI can be biased or confidently wrong
- Not everything online is trustworthy, especially AI generated content
- Personal data should never be shared with public AI tools
These conversations mirror the guidance shared at ACS and align with current advice for parents and carers about emerging technologies.
A human-centred approach
Our approach to AI is grounded in the belief that technology should serve human flourishing.
This means:
- Keeping humans in the loop
- Valuing creativity, judgment, empathy, and integrity
- Questioning power, bias, and commercial influence
- Encouraging students to see themselves as active citizens, not passive users
AI is treated as a tool, not an authority.
