Ban LLMs on All KPRDSB School Wi-Fi
Ban LLMs on All KPRDSB School Wi-Fi
The Issue
ChatGPT and other large language models(LLMs) continue to be an ongoing threat to academic honesty, the environment, and the brains of everyone who uses them. Creating just one 100-word essay using ChatGPT consumes at least 500ml of water. If we assume that around half of KPRDSB's 35,000 students use ChatGPT to this extent every day, that's 8,750 litres of water used daily. On top of this absurd water usage, the chips that make AI models like ChatGPT work require rare earth elements, which often are acquired through environmentally destructive means. Finally, some very concerning studies have suggested that ChatGPT degrades the critical thinking skills of its users. This is especially a point of concern for educators, as developing critical thinking skills is crucial in the early years of a child's life.
It is in the best interest of every student, teacher, and other member of staff at KPRDSB to ban the use of LLMs in our schools. For the sake of the Anti-Generative AI argument being presented, no assistance from AI models were used in the writing of this text.
Works Cited
Chow, Andrew. “ChatGPT May Be Eroding Critical Thinking Skills, according to a New MIT Study.” TIME, Time, 17 June 2025, time.com/7295195/ai-chatgpt-google-learning-school/. Accessed 4 June 2026.
Luccioni, Sasha. “AI Is Dangerous, but Not for the Reasons You Think | Sasha Luccioni | TED.” Www.youtube.com TED, 6 Nov. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXdVDhOGqoE Accessed 29 May 2026.
Sellman, Mark, and Adam Vaughan. ““Thirsty” ChatGPT Uses Four Times More Water than Previously Thought.” Thetimes.com, The Times, 4 Oct. 2024, www.thetimes.com/uk/technology-uk/article/thirsty-chatgpt-uses-four-times-more-water-than-previously-thought-bc0pqswdr Accessed 4 June 2026.
UNEP. “AI Has an Environmental Problem. Here’s What the World Can Do about That.” UNEP, 21 Sept. 2024, www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/ai-has-environmental-problem-heres-what-world-can-do-about Accessed 29 May 2026.
Laizure, S. Casey. “Caution: ChatGPT Doesn’t Know What You Are Asking and Doesn’t Know What It Is Saying.” The Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics, vol. 29, no. 5, 1 Oct. 2024, pp. 558–560, https://doi.org/10.5863/1551-6776-29.5.558
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The Issue
ChatGPT and other large language models(LLMs) continue to be an ongoing threat to academic honesty, the environment, and the brains of everyone who uses them. Creating just one 100-word essay using ChatGPT consumes at least 500ml of water. If we assume that around half of KPRDSB's 35,000 students use ChatGPT to this extent every day, that's 8,750 litres of water used daily. On top of this absurd water usage, the chips that make AI models like ChatGPT work require rare earth elements, which often are acquired through environmentally destructive means. Finally, some very concerning studies have suggested that ChatGPT degrades the critical thinking skills of its users. This is especially a point of concern for educators, as developing critical thinking skills is crucial in the early years of a child's life.
It is in the best interest of every student, teacher, and other member of staff at KPRDSB to ban the use of LLMs in our schools. For the sake of the Anti-Generative AI argument being presented, no assistance from AI models were used in the writing of this text.
Works Cited
Chow, Andrew. “ChatGPT May Be Eroding Critical Thinking Skills, according to a New MIT Study.” TIME, Time, 17 June 2025, time.com/7295195/ai-chatgpt-google-learning-school/. Accessed 4 June 2026.
Luccioni, Sasha. “AI Is Dangerous, but Not for the Reasons You Think | Sasha Luccioni | TED.” Www.youtube.com TED, 6 Nov. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXdVDhOGqoE Accessed 29 May 2026.
Sellman, Mark, and Adam Vaughan. ““Thirsty” ChatGPT Uses Four Times More Water than Previously Thought.” Thetimes.com, The Times, 4 Oct. 2024, www.thetimes.com/uk/technology-uk/article/thirsty-chatgpt-uses-four-times-more-water-than-previously-thought-bc0pqswdr Accessed 4 June 2026.
UNEP. “AI Has an Environmental Problem. Here’s What the World Can Do about That.” UNEP, 21 Sept. 2024, www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/ai-has-environmental-problem-heres-what-world-can-do-about Accessed 29 May 2026.
Laizure, S. Casey. “Caution: ChatGPT Doesn’t Know What You Are Asking and Doesn’t Know What It Is Saying.” The Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics, vol. 29, no. 5, 1 Oct. 2024, pp. 558–560, https://doi.org/10.5863/1551-6776-29.5.558
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Petition created on May 29, 2026