Many students now use different online resources to complete their work, but how is this affecting their dependence on these resources? Technology and AI are a big part of this world now and its abilities seem to keep growing and expanding. But, what exactly is AI?
AI (artificial intelligence) is modeled off of a human brain. While it currently does not possess the capabilities to feel emotions like we do, it does possess the abilities to make responses based on the information it has been told and has collected. The use of AI has grown a lot recently with many different apps and companies using it, like Snapchat or Chat.gpt, for example. Many students use this technology for school to help come up with answers for homework, or to generate ideas for projects or assignments. Although this use of AI is very helpful, many students and people are becoming dependent on this technology.
If everyone begins to be too dependent on AI then it may start to affect people. An article from Medium stated, “Even a study by Forbes shows that 43% of students admit that they have tried or implemented AI when accomplishing their school works, and it seems that students are becoming dependent on the use of a machine to do their work for them” (Lawrence). If students continue to use AI for everything like answers, essays, and homework, they will never learn the things they need to know in school. While most people think that students using AI so often is harmful towards their creativity, others say it is the other way around.
This technology has proven to actually be very helpful towards students’ creativity and ability to brainstorm ideas quicker. An article from the University of South Carolina states, “The good news is that the students in our study generated more diverse and detailed ideas when using AI. They found that AI was useful for kick-starting brainstorming sessions. Other research has shown that AI can also serve as a nonjudgmental partner for brainstorming, which can prompt a free stream of ideas they might normally withhold in a group setting” (Habib). When they ran a study, it actually proved that AI was helpful to these students to brainstorm ideas. It can place down a good starting spot for the students to then build off of. While students say it is helpful to their imagination and creativity, others say it is doing the opposite.
Today, many students use their AI to help them figure out how to work through problems. Kaiden Fisher, a student in Garden Plain High School said, “I use AI whenever I get stuck on a problem and I can’t figure it out. I use it to help me figure out how to work my way to the answer.”
Many students use their AI this way to more efficiently learn what they are doing. Although some students use it to skip their way through work, not all do. AI is a very helpful learning tool to students when used correctly. While all of this new technology and AI can be extremely helpful when completing work, many people also get sucked into the technology when they try to use it. Computers and phones are great resources for students to find information they need and to do research, however, many students abuse the ability to have a computer or phone in school. They spend time on their phones or computers doing things that have no relation to what they are doing in the classroom and they waste their class time on them. This makes it difficult for schools to allow students to have these things, especially their phones.
In the end, I believe that technology and AI can be very useful and powerful tools when it comes to school and work. However, you have to be careful with how dependent you let yourself become on those resources. They can distract you from your own opinions by just going off of whatever it is that Chatgpt says. Students can lose focus on their own opinions and research and will immediately just agree with whatever their technology says because it simply is easier for them to do so. When students and adults become too dependent on using this technology, it can affect them in the long run. When they suddenly don’t have those resources at a time they will be unable to complete assignments or work without using AI. It is critical for people to maintain their independence when it comes to their work, and they need to remember how to complete stuff without using technology.
