AI in Utah schools: What teachers say is happening in your child’s classroom

Imagine sitting beside Anne Frank in the Amsterdam annex where she hid with her family, passing notes in silent conversation to avoid being heard. Or asking Ponyboy, the protagonist of S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel “The Outsiders,” what was going through his mind when he rushed into that burning church with children trapped inside.

For Raychel Rondash’s students at Mount Logan Middle School, this isn’t just a thought experiment. Simulated conversations with historical figures and fictional characters are a regular part of English class — with a little help from artificial intelligence.

“I set up a space where [students] could speak to Anne Frank, because we have read the ‘Diary of Anne Frank,’” Rondash said, referring to an AI program called SchoolAI that allows teachers to create digital “