BVSD blocks ChatGPT over new safety concerns
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The Boulder Valley School District has blocked ChatGPT on school networks and devices amid concerns over two new features the district says pose safety risks for students.
Why it matters: As more students use AI in and out of the classroom, districts are weighing how to balance innovation with student safety.
Driving the news: Lynn Gershman, academic services director for BVSD, told Axios Boulder that two new or pending features on GPT-5.3 caught the district's attention: its chatroom and an adult mode.
- Gershman said the group chat function has the potential for bullying and hate speech: "Since we can't monitor those chatrooms, that is not OK with us."
- Meanwhile, the adult mode allows users to create explicit images, and while there is age verification requirement, it is not "robust" enough for the district's liking.
- "We just don't want [students] to even be tempted," Gershman said.
Between the lines: Gershman said the ban is not an anti-AI stance, and that no other large language models (LLMs) are currently blocked, though any new technology —AI or otherwise — that students can access on BVSD devices will be evaluated.
- "We're not blocking them until those companies [make] decisions that [call into] question the safety of our students," Gershman said.
Zoom out: BVSD subscribes to a program called MagicSchool, an AI platform designed for educational use.
- For example, a teacher might assign a writing task and provide students with access to an AI-powered feedback tool. The teacher can monitor and moderate the tool to help students with crafting prompts and flagging inappropriate comments.
The bottom line: BVSD and Colorado are certainly not alone in trying to navigate the pitfalls of AI becoming more prevalent in education.
- BVSD has tried to take a "hands-off approach" to AI, as Gershman said they want to accommodate teachers and students who have varying comfort with the new tech.
- BVSD spokesperson Randy Barber said the district hopes to get more guidance from the state in the near future.
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