The Curtis Log published an article in May 2025 on how artificial intelligence affected IB. In that article, I observed a pattern: as AI grew in popularity, Curtis saw a drop in IB diploma recipients from 2023 to 2024. I concluded that students using AI were unable to perform on their IB exams.

The phone ban, created by Governor Kathy Hochul, has the potential to reverse the downward trend of IB diploma recipients.  Students  will no longer be able to scroll through social media instead of doing their schoolwork, and  AI will no longer be as accessible.

Math teacher and IB Diploma Program Coordinator Ms. Kathleen Francis highlighted the impact of the ban. “The phone ban might help reduce distractions during class, exams, and study time, which could support more students in earning their IB diploma,” she stated. But Francis also believes that phones, and therefore AI, are not entirely to blame for a candidate’s performance. “However, there are definitely other factors still at play too. For example, challenges like the responsible use of AI tools, balancing workload, and students’ work habits. So, while the phone ban could be a positive step, it’s just one part of a bigger picture.”

Ms. Velovic also shared her view that if everyone does their part, students can thrive in their studies. “I think students and teachers need to be held accountable to ensure we achieve the highest level of academic success. For students, that means relying less on AI to complete assignments and taking full ownership of their work. For teachers, that means exploring different strategies to engage students — focusing on what works and getting rid of what doesn’t.”

As we have seen, if students and teachers step up and take more responsibility in the learning process  IB diploma rates will probably increase.