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by Marcel Francis
East Forsyth seniors celebrated graduation Friday as they walked across the stage to receive their diplomas.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C – East Forsyth High School seniors celebrated a major milestone Friday as graduates walked across the stage at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum to receive their diplomas. Among them was graduate Ilyana Moore, who celebrated the moment alongside family and friends after years of hard work in the classroom.
“I cried a little bit last time singing with my choir, I was a little nervous walking across the stage,” Moore said.
For many graduates, the ceremony also marks the beginning of entering a future increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. According to the Pew Research Center, more than half of teenagers say they use AI chatbots for schoolwork, including research, writing assistance, and solving math problems. The survey also found nearly 60 percent of teens believe AI is regularly used to cheat in school.
“We had to write our essay for college, and a lot of people were using it, and it was like a 1,000-word assignment,” Moore said. “I was like I feel like you should do that yourself than AI do it for you. But I wrote mine myself gladly.”
As students prepare for college and careers, many say AI is becoming impossible to ignore. Moore, who plans to attend Winston-Salem State University to study nursing, says the technology can be useful when used responsibly, but worries students could become too dependent on it.
“Taking your time to do your work and actually learn the concept is better than just A.I.-ing it and not knowing what you’re doing in the future,” Moore said. “So I think that’s been a hard bump for a lot of people through high school.”
The same Pew Research survey found that some teens are already using AI beyond the classroom for entertainment and situational advice. Moore says adapting to the technology while still learning independently will be important for students moving forward.
“Teachers may not be as hard on us, but if we’re going to college for the future,” Moore said. “I think we should work on that ourselves so we get the knowledge instead of having something else help us.”
While some students see AI as a helping hand and others view it as a hindrance, many graduates say they remain optimistic about the future ahead as they begin the next chapter of their lives.
2026 Sinclair, Inc.
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