Nearly 60 percent of Georgia’s public-school teachers are now using generative artificial intelligence tools for instructional planning and preparation, according to a report released this week by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts.
The finding represents a striking rate of adoption for a technology that was barely on educators’ radar three years ago — and it comes with both enthusiasm and unease.
What teachers are doing with AI
The audit surveyed a representative sample of teachers across metro Atlanta, middle Georgia, and rural districts in the southern part of the state. The most common uses reported were:
- Generating lesson-plan drafts tailored to specific grade levels and standards
- Creating differentiated worksheets for students at varying skill levels
- Writing assessment questions aligned with state Milestones benchmarks
- Summarizing professional-development materials and research articles
- Drafting parent communications such as newsletters and progress reports
Teachers who use the tools consistently reported saving between three and five hours per week on preparation tasks — time many said they reinvested into direct student interaction, grading, and curriculum collaboration.
The upside
For overworked educators — many of whom carry daily responsibilities far beyond instruction — the efficiency gains are real.
“I used to spend my entire Sunday prepping for Monday through Friday. Now I can build a first draft of a week’s worth of lessons in 90 minutes and spend the rest of my time making them better.”
— Georgia middle-school teacher, quoted anonymously in the audit
Districts with the highest AI adoption rates also reported stronger teacher-retention numbers, though the audit cautioned that the correlation is preliminary and influenced by many other variables.
The worry
Not everyone is comfortable with the trend. A significant minority of surveyed teachers — roughly 28 percent — expressed concern that student exposure to the same tools is undermining critical-thinking and original-writing skills.
The worry is not hypothetical. Several districts have reported a noticeable increase in student submissions that appear AI-generated, and schools are struggling to set clear, enforceable policies on when and how students may use the technology.
The audit recommended that the Georgia Department of Education develop statewide guidelines for both teacher and student AI use by the start of the 2026–2027 school year.
What’s next
Superintendent of Schools Richard Woods — the Republican incumbent who is expected to face Democratic nominee Lydia Powell in the November general election — has signaled support for an AI-guidance framework but has not committed to specific policies.
Education advocacy groups say the framework should address at minimum:
- Transparency — when teachers or students use AI, it should be disclosed
- Equity — ensuring all districts have access to quality AI tools, not just affluent ones
- Assessment integrity — establishing clear rules for AI use on graded assignments
Georgia is not alone in wrestling with these questions. But with adoption already at 60 percent and rising, the state has less time than most to figure out the answers.
Aisha Bell covers education and community affairs for WACN 21. Reach her at abell@wacn21.com.
