As artificial intelligence makes its way into schools, a paradox is emerging.

Many educators, concerned about cheating and shortcuts, are trying to limit student use of A.I.

At the same time, teachers are increasingly using A.I. tools themselves, both to save time on rote tasks and to outsource some of their most meaningful work, like grading essays and tutoring struggling students.

That tension has prompted some difficult ethical questions. For example, is it fair to use A.I. to grade student essays, if you’ve prohibited students from using A.I. to write them?

School leaders are grappling with these dilemmas as they confront a barrage of marketing claims around how A.I. could “transform,” “personalize” and “accelerate” learning.

A.I. “is already being used by the majority of teachers and students,” said Jennifer Carolan, a former history teacher and founder of Reach Capital, a venture capital firm that invests in A.I. learning tools.

But as the technology works its way into schools, some educators say they are concerned that tech companies are pouring resources into A.I. applications, like tutoring bots, that disrupt the human relationships at the core of teaching and learning — instead of creating tools to ease the bureaucratic burdens that shift adults’ attention away from children.