Despite the fact that some artificial intelligence models are available for free, such as Google’s Gemini, several students have begun to purchase premium subscriptions to AI models to bolster their studying capabilities and streamline their tasks.
Some of the most popular AI applications offer premiums: ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. Gemini’s premium tiers, called Google AI Pro and Ultra, offer better integration with Google, improved capabilities to create videos and photos, more storage space and the latest Gemini model. ChatGPT’s Go, Plus and Pro levels have similar features: better models and faster, more in-depth responses. Claude’s premium versions, Pro and Max, allow for more daily queries.
Better image generation is what attracts junior Venice Czarnecki-Lichstein to Gemini Pro. She gets the newest versions of Gemini to help her generate memes. Specifically, she uses Gemini Pro’s Nano Banana image-generation feature.
Despite their attractive features, premium AI models can be pricey. Gemini Pro, ChatGPT Plus and Claude subscriptions cost $20 a month, with further upgrades being more expensive. Google AI Ultra costs $249.99 per month.
While Venice’s main focus is fun, she also thinks premium AI models can be helpful for schoolwork.
“It can be good tools for studying,” Venice said, “Peer editing, stuff like that.”
Gemini, even in its free subscription, offers a “help me learn” feature that allows the model to teach students various materials, by reading imported texts and explaining them simply. However, Lab’s student Google accounts are restricted from signing into Gemini, with a few class exceptions. Additionally, the schoolwide AI use policy also dissuades students with the requirements of teacher’s knowing of AI use in advance, class-by-class guideline differences, process demonstrations and citing/disclosing AI use.
Junior Izzy Ji thinks that AI can be useful in jobs. Her father, who has a premium subscription to an AI platform, has let her use it from time to time. She thinks that it can help automate menial labor, and has used it as a tool to learn confusing math concepts before.
However, Izzy thinks that high school is not the time for AI work.
“I feel like high school is a time where you have to learn and develop your brain for yourself,” Izzy said, “and AI takes away from that.”
