this error in its answer, not correcting Griffiths( it was actually the Foreign Minister of Tuvalu who made such the speech). It is therefore important to think critically when using AI models and fact check their responses. This is particularly important in a Geography context, when an AI might have been used to provide case study information about an example which teachers are less familiar with.
When using, or experimenting with, AI platforms, it is important to be aware of their environmental impacts, especially as geographers. An AI search produces significantly more emissions than a Google search, for example. AI data centres also use a large amount of water to prevent overheating. With the UK government committing to creating new data centres this puts pressure on areas that are already water stressed( Kleinman & Wheeler, 2025). Therefore, whilst we do need to keep abreast of this new technology, consider whether the use of AI is warranted and, when using AI, avoid the temptation to say‘ please’ or‘ thank you’( as much as it can seem a good idea to be polite to the AI!) as this requires greater processing, further harming the environment.
Uses of AI for Geography teachers
AI is predominantly useful for a range of workload saving tasks. Some examples that are applicable to the Geography context are below.
Platforms can be asked to create niche case study overviews on areas which a teacher may lack specific knowledge of. Kerr( 2023) notes using ChatGPT to produce a case study of the use of fuelwood in West Bengal, for example. This can be done within a matter of minutes, saving hours that would have otherwise been spent researching providing a significant workload benefit. It is important to remember, however, that, as mentioned above, AI generated responses do need to be assessed critically and fact checked for accuracy.
AI can produce essay responses for critique and improvement by students. Whilst a technique common in teaching practice, the difference is that work can be produced in a few minutes compared to the 30 minutes it may take to write an example from scratch if not using one a student has written themselves( Harding, 2024). It is important not to frame these as‘ exemplars’ as the AI may not produce exactly the outcome intended. Nor, Harding( 2024) believes, should students be made aware that the responses were made using AI. AI produced responses can either be obtained and then edited by the teacher into the exact context required( whilst still saving time as you did not have to write the whole response from scratch) or given to students in the AI generated format for students to critique pros and cons and suggest how to improve them.
Figure 2: An example of a colour coding system students used for an AI generated response. Yellow is learnt knowledge and green is explanation. Students then went on to add evaluative points in purple. From Hickman & Ghosh( 2024).( Reproduced with kind permission)
Hickman & Ghosh( 2024) suggest that students could use a colour coding system to identify knowledge points, explanations, and then add in their own points for developing the response( see example in figure 2). Buchanan( 2024) also suggests giving students an answer and getting them to suggest what question the response would relate to. Students can also try marking the AI generated answer, using a mark scheme, to enable them to familiarise themselves with mark schemes. The use of ChatGPT generated responses by students can improve student’ s ability to‘ write like a geographer’ by being regularly exposed to academically appropriate vocabulary in their writing over time( Harding, 2024).
Care does need to be taken with AI generated essay responses though. As geographers, we have a specific way of answering questions, often with synoptic, well-reasoned, arguments that include case studies to support points being made. AI does not perform well at generating responses in this style, nor is it good at specifically responding to command terms, such as‘ evaluate’ in its answers. AI platforms are slightly better at writing responses to Physical Geography based questions, as opposed to Human ones which might be more opinion based, as opposed to grounded in facts, for the same reasons. AI is therefore‘ not a top geographer!’( Logue, 2023). It is for these reasons that it is suggested that AI responses are not framed as exemplars, and students should use them as a basis to assess how to improve them into a top answer, utilising some of the suggested tasks mentioned above.
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