Debate is always evolving, and families deserve a clear view of what’s ahead. Our free Community Webinars bring parents, students and educators together on the topics shaping the activity and helping debaters succeed in and beyond the round. Led by Potomac Debate Academy coaches, each session shares the practical insights and approaches we’re already putting to work in our classes. Browse upcoming and past webinars below.

Responsible Use of AI in Debate

AI in Debate: A Recap of Coach Matt Stannard’s Webinar

Meeting Recap Written By Katherine Xue

It’s nearly impossible to escape AI these days, as large language models (LLMs) have become a pretty unavoidable part of student life. But as these tools get increasingly capable, there’s a bigger question worth asking: at what point does getting help from AI start getting in the way of actually learning?

That was the central question behind a recent PDA webinar led by Coach Matt Stannard, our Director of Debate. In What Is Responsible Use for AI in Debate?, Coach Matt covered the research surrounding AI in education, its implications for speech and debate, and how we approach responsible use in our own classrooms here at Potomac. He made the case for a more thoughtful approach: understanding what these tools can offer, recognizing where they fall short, and knowing when to put them aside.

For anyone who couldn’t make it live, here’s a recap of the big takeaways.

1. Getting an answer ≠ understanding it.

Coach Matt began by explaining how LLMs use patterns in existing information and data to generate human-like text. While these tools can be useful, it’s a common trap for debaters to use it for a flowery, polished response, and not actually fully understand the topic. That’s why one of the biggest concerns, especially with younger students, is LLM over-reliance. When students outsource their writing and reasoning, they risk weakening the very skills they’re supposed to develop. LLMs can also “hallucinate” information, meaning they produce fabricated claims or misleading citations that students could unknowingly repeat.

There’s also the loss of what Coach Matt described as “productive struggle”. The research process often involves unexpected discoveries, following unfamiliar leads, and reconsidering your assumptions. If AI immediately provides a summary, students may miss the process that helps them develop deeper understanding.

However, that doesn’t mean Coach Matt is anti-AI. He acknowledged that LLMs can encourage curiosity, improve engagement, and help students interact with unfamiliar material. Once again, our goal at PDA isn’t simply to advocate for more or less AI, but to help students think critically and use these tools responsibly. Sometimes, the right choice is not to use AI at all.

2. Debate teaches skills AI can’t replace.

In particular, speech and debate provides a clear example of why independent thinking matters. An LLM can generate a rebuttal, but it can’t participate in crossfire for you, respond on-the-fly to an unexpected argument, or replace your round vision.

Coach Matt emphasized that debate’s interactive nature forces students to “collapse”, or prioritize arguments, evaluate competing perspectives, and make decisions under pressure. These moments can be uncomfortable, but that discomfort is where we learn the most.

Along a similar vein, research is equally important. Consider the Septober Public Forum resolution on whether the U.S. federal government should enact a moratorium on hyperscale data center construction. Exploring the topic requires debaters to dig deep into AI’s economic, political, and environmental implications in the research process, and be able to fully explain it during a round. Debate therefore offers far more than just competitive experience: it gives students a way to understand AI as both a technology and a social phenomenon. And because students must defend their arguments in front of opponents and judges, relying on generated text without understanding it can quickly become apparent.

3. PDA has clear expectations for responsible AI use.

So what does AI use look like in practice? Coach Matt outlined several principles behind PDA’s curricular policy:

First, use your own words. Debaters should speak in their own words or use verified, cited quotations.

Second, verify your evidence. LLMs aren’t substitutes for original sources. Trace claims to the published material that supports them.

Third, don’t read AI-generated speeches. Students should develop and understand their own arguments rather than relying directly on generated text.

Fourth, preserve your independent judgment. Judges at PDA intramurals shouldn’t use LLMs to write decisions or feedback in place of their own evaluations.

Ultimately, the biggest takeaway is that the AI world is here, whether you like it or not. That’s why it’s so important for us to learn how to work with AI, and not against it.