Parents sue school in Massachusetts after son punished for using AI on paper

The parents of a Massachusetts teenager are suing his high school after they said he was accused of cheating for using an artificial intelligence tool on an assignment.

The teen's parents, Jennifer and Dale Harris, told Boston ABC affiliate WCVB their son used AI to assist with research for a history paper, but not to write the paper itself.

"They told us our son cheated on a paper, which is not what happened," Jennifer Harris told WCVB.

When the student's AI use was discovered, he was given detention, and his grade was negatively impacted, according to the family.

In a federal court filing, the family alleged the teen would "suffer irreparable harm" as a result of the incident, noting he was "applying to elite colleges and universities given his high level of academic and personal achievement."

As a result of the incident, he was barred from being inducted into the National Honor Society, the filing alleges.

The filing calls for the school to "exclude any zero grade from grade calculations for the subject assignment" and to "immediately repair, restore and rectify Plaintiff Student’s letter grade in Social Studies to a grade of 'B.'"

It also demands the student be "retroactively appointed and inducted immediately" into the National Honor Society.

The filing accuses the school of a lack of clarity in its rules about AI use, saying the school handbook did not "have any established rules, policies or procedures for not only the use of artificial intelligence, but what any administrators, faculty or students should do when encountering its use."

A copy of the school's handbook reviewed by ABC News states that "unauthorized use of technology, including Artificial Intelligence" may be deemed an act of cheating or plagiarism, but does not go into further detail about how it may or may not be used.

The handbook defines plagiarism as "unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author, including Artificial Intelligence, and the representation of such as one’s own work."

A teacher who uncovers instances of cheating must "record a failing grade for that assignment for each student involved" and inform the student's parents, according to the handbook. The teacher must also notify the assistant principal, "who will add the information to the student’s disciplinary file" and "may take further action if they deem it warranted," the handbook states.

Jennifer Harris urged the school to clarify their rules surrounding the use of AI.

"I'd also like them to put in place an AI policy that makes sense -- that the teachers understand that they then can articulate to the students," she said.

The filing also called for school administrators to "undergo training in the use and implementation of artificial intelligence in the classroom, schools and educational environment by a duly qualified third party not employed by the District."

In a statement to ABC News, a spokesperson for the school district declined to comment on the matter.

"To respect the privacy of the student involved and due to ongoing litigation, [Hingham Public Schools] is unable to provide further details at this time," the spokesperson said.