How ChatGPT and other AI tools are changing the teaching profession

For her 6th grade honors class, math teacher Ana Sepúlveda wanted to make geometry fun. She figured her students “who live and breathe soccer” would be interested to learn how mathematical concepts apply to the sport. She asked ChatGPT for help.

Within seconds, the chatbot delivered a five-page lesson plan, even offering a theme: “Geometry is everywhere in soccer — on the field, in the ball, and even in the design of stadiums!”

It explained the place of shapes and angles on a soccer field. It suggested classroom conversation starters: Why are those shapes important to the game? It proposed a project for students to design their own soccer field or stadium using rulers and protractors.

“Using AI has been a game changer for me,” said Sepúlveda, who teaches at a dual language school in Dallas and has ChatGPT translate everything into Spanish. “It’s helping me with lesson planning, communicating with parents and increasing student engagement.”

Across the country, artificial intelligence tools are changing the teaching profession as educators use them to help write quizzes and worksheets, design lessons, assist with grading and reduce paperwork. By freeing up their time, many say the technology has made them better at their jobs.

A poll released Wednesday by Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation found 6 in 10 U.S. teachers working in K-12 public schools used AI tools for their work over the past school year, with heavier use among high school educators and early-career teachers. It surveyed more than 2,000 teachers nationwide in April.

Respondents who use AI tools weekly estimate they save them about six hours a week, suggesting the technology could help alleviate teacher burnout, said Gallup research consultant Andrea Malek Ash, who authored the report.

As schools navigate concerns over student abuse of the technology, some are also are introducing guidelines and training for educators so teachers are aware of avoiding shortcuts that shortchange students.

About two dozen states have state-level AI guidance for schools, but the extent to which it is applied by schools and teachers is uneven, says Maya Israel, an associate professor of educational technology and computer science education at the University of Florida.

“We want to make sure that AI isn’t replacing the judgment of a teacher,” Israel said.

If teachers are using chatbots for grading they should be aware the tools are good for “low-level” grading like multiple choice tests but less effective when nuance is required. There should be a way for students to alert teachers if the grading is too harsh or inconsistent, and the final grading decision needs to remain with the educator, she said.

About 8 in 10 teachers who use AI tools say it saves them time on work tasks like making worksheets, assessments, quizzes or on administrative work. And about 6 in 10 teachers who use AI tools said they are improving the quality of their work when it comes to modifying student materials, or giving student feedback.

“AI has transformed how I teach. It’s also transformed my weekends and given me a better work-life balance,” said Mary McCarthy, a high school social studies teacher in the Houston area who has used AI tools for help with lesson plans and other tasks.

McCarthy said training she received from her school district on AI tools has helped her model proper use for her students.

“If I’m on the soapbox of, ‘AI is bad and kids are going to get dumb,’ well yeah if we don’t teach them how to use the tool,” said McCarthy. “It feels like my responsibility as the adult in the room to help them figure out how to navigate this future.”

Views on the role of artificial intelligence in education have shifted dramatically since ChatGPT launched in late 2022. Schools around the country initially banned it, but since then many have sought ways to incorporate it into classrooms. Concerns about student overuse and misuse are still prevalent: About half of teachers worry that student use of AI will decrease teens’ ability to think critically and independently or to have persistence when problem solving, according to the study.

One benefit teachers see in becoming more familiar with artificial intelligence is the ability to spot when students are overusing it.

Clues that assignments are written by AI tools include an absence of grammatical errors and complex phrases in writing, said Colorado high school English teacher Darren Barkett. He said he relies on ChatGPT himself to create lesson plans and grade multiple choice tests and essays.

In suburban Chicago, middle school art teacher Lindsay Johnson said she uses only AI programs vetted by her school and deemed safe to use with minors, for data privacy and other concerns. To ensure students feel confident in their skills, she said she brings the technology in only for later stages of projects.

For her 8th graders' final assessment, Johnson asked them to make a portrait of an influential person in their lives. After students put final touches on their subject's face, Johnson introduced generative AI for those who wanted help designing the background. She used an AI tool within Canva, after checking with her district's IT department that the design software passed its privacy screener.

“As an art teacher my goal is to let them know the different tools that are out there and to teach them how those tools work,” she said. Some students weren’t interested in the help. “Half the class said, ‘I’ve got a vision, and am going to keep going with it.’”

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

CORRECT PROGRAM NAME: Art teacher Lindsay Johnson, right, teaches students how to ask Canva for help during a summer class at Roosevelt Middle School, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in River Forest, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

CORRECTS CAPTION DESCRIPTION Art teacher Lindsay Johnson discusses how to use generative AI features in Canva during a summer class at Roosevelt Middle School, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in River Forest, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

CORRECT PROGRAM NAME: A student, left, talks with art teacher Lindsay Johnson about how to ask Canva for help during a summer class at Roosevelt Middle School, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in River Forest, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

CORRECT PROGRAM NAME: Art teacher Lindsay Johnson, second from left, teaches students how to ask Canva for help during a summer class at Roosevelt Middle School, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in River Forest, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

CORRECT PROGRAM NAME: A student is taught how to ask Canva for help during a summer class at Roosevelt Middle School, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in River Forest, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Art teacher Lindsay Johnson, right, teaches students how to ask ChatGPT for help during a summer class at Roosevelt Middle School, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in River Forest, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Art teacher Lindsay Johnson teaches to students how to AI for help during a summer class at Roosevelt Middle School, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in River Forest, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

A student, left, talks with art teacher Lindsay Johnson about how to ask ChatGPT for help during a summer class at Roosevelt Middle School, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in River Forest, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Art teacher Lindsay Johnson, second from left, teaches students how to ask ChatGPT for help during a summer class at Roosevelt Middle School, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in River Forest, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

A student is taught how to ask ChatGPT for help during a summer class at Roosevelt Middle School, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in River Forest, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

FILE - The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen displaying output from ChatGPT, March 21, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

FILE - The logo for OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, appears on a mobile phone, in New York, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, file)

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III has been “deeply touched” by the response to his update on his cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace said Saturday, adding that the monarch is pleased to have highlighted the value of screening programs for the disease.

Medics and health charities have praised the king for his openness, saying his statement on Friday had already prompted people to seek information about cancer.

In a strikingly personal video statement, the British monarch acknowledged that a cancer diagnosis can feel “overwhelming,” but said catching the disease early brings “the precious gift of hope.”

Here’s what to know about the king's condition and his message.

The 77-year-old king said in a statement broadcast Friday that his treatment schedule will be reduced in the new year, “thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to ‘doctors’ orders.’”

He encouraged others to take advantage of screening programs such as those for breast, bowel and cervical cancer offered by Britain’s public health service.

“Early diagnosis quite simply saves lives,” the king said in the statement aired during a “Stand Up to Cancer” telethon on TV station Channel 4. He said catching the disease early had allowed him “to continue leading a full and active life even while undergoing treatment.”

Charles has received outpatient treatment for almost two years. Buckingham Palace did not say the king is in remission, but that his treatment is moving to a “precautionary phase” and his condition will be monitored to ensure his continued recovery.

“I know from my own experience that a cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming,” the king said in his video statement. “Yet I also know that early detection is the key that can transform treatment journeys, giving invaluable time to medical teams – and, to their patients, the precious gift of hope.”

Charles announced in February 2024 that he had been diagnosed with cancer, and, in a break from centuries of secrecy about royal health, he has since spoken about the illness, using his story to promote cancer awareness and treatment.

The openness has limits, though. The king has not disclosed what type of cancer he has or what kind of treatment he is receiving. The palace said it was an intentional decision designed to ensure his message reaches the widest possible audience.

The king’s cancer was discovered after treatment for an enlarged prostate. While doctors ruled out prostate cancer, tests revealed “a separate issue of concern,” palace officials said last year.

Charles suspended his public appearances for about two months after his diagnosis. Since returning to the public eye, he has visited cancer treatment centers across the country and shared stories with fellow patients.

Buckingham Palace said Charles “will be greatly encouraged and deeply touched by the very positive reaction" his message has generated. “He will be particularly pleased at the way it has helped to shine a light on the benefits of cancer screening programs,” it added.

British cancer charities said the number of people seeking information about cancer jumped after the king revealed he was undergoing treatment last year.

Cancer Research U.K. said about 100,000 people have visited its Screening Checker website since it was launched on Dec. 5, most of them since the king’s statement on Friday.

The charity's Chief Executive Michelle Mitchell said: “When public figures speak openly about their cancer diagnosis, it can prompt others to check in on their health.”

Broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby, the king’s authorized biographer, said the statement was “a remarkable thing for a monarch to do.”

“It takes guts, and the fact that he came out and did that will save lives,’” Dimbleby said.

The Princess of Wales, who announced her own cancer diagnosis six weeks after her father-in-law, has also given updates on her treatment. Kate announced in January that her cancer is in remission.

Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/royalty

Britain's King Charles III attends an Advent Service at Westminster Abbey, in London, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's King Charles III attends an Advent Service at Westminster Abbey, in London, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photo via AP)