OpenAI is asking developers and researchers to share how they use its coding model, Codex, to build new technologies. This comes as artificial intelligence moves rapidly into classrooms, shifting how students learn to program. While these tools offer new ways to build software, educational research suggests their success in the classroom depends heavily on how teachers structure them.
What Happened
OpenAI recently launched a search for "Codex Originals," seeking stories from creators who use its AI models to write code and automate tasks. This project points to a broader effort to bring AI into schools. During a recent virtual "Codex Summer Studio," university faculty and researchers learned how to deploy these coding agents to automate course maintenance and design custom learning tools. As we previously reported, these projects are part of an effort to train educators for an "agentic model" of AI, where complex technical tasks go to AI assistants.
The Bigger Picture
Parents and educators worry that AI coding assistants will help students cheat rather than learn. Recent studies show mixed results. A meta-analysis published in the Educational Psychology Review found that generative AI has small-to-medium positive effects on independent programming skills and student motivation.
The benefits depend on how teachers introduce the technology. Research in Educational Technology Research and Development studied eighth-grade Python students and found that those with strong computational thinking skills used AI to understand coding logic. Struggling students, however, often used AI to copy answers, skipping the learning process entirely.
A study in Computer Applications in Engineering Education showed that when AI acts as a "problem solver" and writes code for students, their higher scores do not carry over to tests taken without the AI. Using AI as an interactive tutor can increase motivation, but teachers must still guide students so they can write code on their own.
To address this, schools are testing new systems. Stony Brook University researchers implemented a three-part method called "
Parents and teachers must protect student privacy when children use AI. When OpenAI released "ChatGPT for Teachers," it labeled itself a "[School Official](https://aiskill.market/blog/ferpa-school-official-clause-decoded" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ask, Code, ReviewWhat This Means for Families
Parents still need to watch these tools closely. AI platforms must also comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires strict data deletion requirements for children under 13. Families should ask schools to confirm they have formal contracts protecting student privacy before using these tools.
What You Can Do
First, establish a clear routine for using these tools. You can encourage children to use the Stony Brook method by asking the AI how a concept works before they let it write any code.
Second, check the data privacy settings. Before letting children use an online AI coding tool, read its privacy policy to make sure that data sharing and model training are turned off.
Finally, focus on how well your child understands the work, not just the finished project. Ask them to explain what their code does line by line. If they cannot explain it, they should rewrite the code without AI to make sure they actually learn the concept.