Artificial Intelligence and Our Drive for the A+
By Ellie O’Connor ’29
According to the former CEO of IBM, a large IT company, Ginni Rometty, “AI will not replace humans, but those who use AI will replace those who don’t.” As seen in this statement, artificial intelligence is often a source of great contention in the world, and in the Milton community there could not be a larger divide on the correct usage of helpful academic tools like AI.Though I do believe that, just like anything else, AI has its benefits and drawbacks, looking at its usage in the lens of our community is crucial to fully understand AI. At Milton, high expectations seem to linger over our heads like rain clouds, fogging up our vision in a dizzy haze. With such pressure lies an underlying tone of perfectionism, one that leads to the unapologetic use of artificial intelligence.
Milton’s toxic relationship with perfectionism was displayed by Milton’s 2026 State of the Academy (SOTA) survey, which found that around “42% of respondents with an A+, A, or A- grade average admitted to using AI without permission on an assignment.” But why? Why would the usage of artificial intelligence be so dominant, even at an elite prep school? What does the usage of AI here at Milton reveal about our community, and how can the student body flip the narrative?
To begin with, it is no secret that attending Milton Academy is stressful; balancing classes, athletics, and clubs on top of homework assignments can feel like an impossible task. In Milton’s fast-paced environment, students are trained to pour 110% of their effort into everything they do; this continuous striving quickly leads to burnout and anxiety around even small tasks. When asked about the appeals of AI specifically to Milton students, AI Club Co-Head Adam Amin ’27 pointed to the high standards to which we hold ourselves. Additionally, he acknowledged the mounting pressures surrounding the college admissions process and applications to advanced summer programs. Within Milton’s academic sphere, high expectations lay around every corner, and asking for help can often be viewed as a sign of weakness. Despite Milton’s strong academic support systems, such as the Academic Skills Center and Peer Tutoring, an unhealthy dialogue around asking for help still persists. A 2026 SOTA question revealed that only 12% of respondents never felt academically insecure, a statistic which demonstrated the extent to which our community’s academic struggles remain in the dark. When the strong academic safety nets we are supposed to fall back on in times of trouble are socially viewed as embarrassing or unnecessary, tools like AI come into the conversation.
Amin echoed the adverse effects of prioritizing grades over actual learning in our approach to education: “when we devalue the learning process… reducing it to just a stepping-stone, it becomes a lot easier to embrace AI as a tool to assist you.” With this quote in mind, Milton Academy is supposed to foster a learning curve every step of the way. Using tools like AI to guide oneself through treacherous waters may be easy, but these tools also take away from the true Milton experience: the challenge itself.
Though the Milton academic culture creates high expectations, our community offers so much support in growing as a student without the help of Artificial Intelligence. Utilizing other tools—additional academic opportunities offered to freshman students to fail and try again while acquiring new skills—is the first step. Using extra helps blocks to meet with teachers and reaching out to student tutors are just two of many ways to enhance one’s learning.
Milton was designed to be a comprehensive experience, worth much more than an A; reducing learning down to a single grade is minimizing the whole Milton experience, bumps and all. Take risks, reach out for help, lean on others, and, most of all, take a moment to sit back and be proud of your own work. Learning and growing come at the expense of an oftentimes bumpy and challenging road. Like Confucius once said, “If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.” Embrace the uncomfortable feeling of struggle; you’ll be richer for it.