Internet and AI Safety

3.1.2

Section 3 — School Policies

Internet and AI Safety

The internet is a powerful tool for learning — but it also carries real risks. This page covers online safety, digital citizenship, and the specific risks that come with AI tools.

General internet safety

Watch the video below for core internet safety principles. The content is still relevant even if some examples feel dated — the underlying risks have not changed.

Key internet safety principles

[Lock]

Protect your personal information

Never share your full name, address, phone number, school name, or photos with people you do not know online.

[Think]

Think before you post

Anything you post online can be seen by more people than you intended and can be permanent. If you would not want it shouted from a rooftop, do not post it.

[Safe]

Use strong, unique passwords

Use a different password for each account. Never share passwords, even with friends.

[Phish]

Recognize phishing

Suspicious emails asking you to click a link or confirm your password are usually scams. When in doubt, do not click.

AI tool safety — what has changed

AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and others are widely available and incredibly capable. They are also significantly more dangerous than most students realize — not because they are harmful in obvious ways, but because they are so easy to misuse without even noticing.

Privacy risks with AI tools

  • Most AI chat tools are not private. Conversations may be reviewed by the company and used to train future models.
  • Do not share personal information with AI tools — including your full name, school details, location, family information, or photos.
  • Many AI platforms have minimum age requirements (typically 13 or 18). Check the terms before using any new tool.
  • Do not share classmates' information in AI prompts — you may be violating their privacy.

Academic integrity risks

  • Using AI to complete assignments and submitting the output as your own work is cheating — even if the AI wrote it very well.
  • AI tools can produce confident-sounding answers that are completely wrong. Over-relying on AI for research leads to citing false information.
  • AI cannot attend your scheduled meeting for you. If you let AI do your coursework, you will not be able to defend it when your teacher asks you to explain it live.

CPA actively monitors for AI misuse

CPA may use AI detection tools to identify AI-generated content. More importantly, the scheduled meeting model means your teacher will know whether you genuinely learned the material — regardless of what your submitted work looks like.

How AI CAN be used appropriately at CPA

AI is not banned at CPA — but its use must be honest and disclosed. Appropriate uses include:

  • Using AI as a research starting point — but verifying everything it tells you against real sources
  • Using AI to help brainstorm ideas — but writing your actual work yourself
  • Using AI grammar tools to catch errors after you have written your own work
  • Asking your teacher if you are unsure whether a specific AI use is permitted for a given assignment