Key Takeaways
- Students can learn faster with tools like ChatGPT, which make studying and understanding topics easier.
- Many students use AI as a personal tutor. It can give them explanations, study guides, and practice quizzes tailored to their needs.
- AI can help boost creativity and planning by allowing students to come up with ideas and organize projects.
- Relying too much on AI can have downsides. It may reduce critical thinking and classroom participation.
- It is important to use AI carefully to make sure it supports learning.
Since ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence (AI) tools have become widely available in 2022, students have been using them to learn faster, stay organized, and handle tough assignments. They can simplify tasks, generate ideas in seconds, and act as a personal study aid. But they’re not without risks.
Here we explore how students use AI, the benefits they see, and the challenges they face.
What Is AI?
At its most basic level, AI is technology capable of completing complex tasks such as problem-solving, decision-making, reasoning, and comprehension that initially only humans could do. This process works by AI systems ingesting copious amounts of training data and studying this information to find patterns and similarities to make predictions about the future.
There are various platforms that individuals, especially students, use to access AI, such as ChatGPT, OpenAI, Otter.AI, Grammarly, Quillbot, and more. Each platform features this kind of technology that simulates human intelligence in hopes of simplifying students’ lives.
Facts and Stats on Students & AI Usage
The Harvard Undergraduate Case Study Teen and Young Adult Perspectives On Generative AI shares numerous important insights on how the younger population is interacting with AI and why it’s essential to look into these practices. Some of the key findings from this study include:
- 51% of individuals from the ages of 14-22 have used generative AI before, and a study of 1,529 college students found that 42% use AI tools every week.
- The most common uses are getting information (53%) and brainstorming (51%)
- Others utilize AI for help with schoolwork (46%) and generating images (31%)
- Although these numbers are high, only 4% of these individuals report being daily AI users, and instead use it only on occasion
- 41% of young individuals believe that generative AI will have both positive and negative impacts on their lives in the next 10 years
- Students in business, engineering, and computer science use AI the most. Generative AI now supplements or replaces traditional search engines about 25% of the time.
How Do Students Use AI?
AI isn’t just a tech buzzword, it’s a tool that students are using every day to help with schoolwork. From brainstorming ideas to checking grammar, students are finding new ways to make learning easier.
1. Idea Generation and Overcoming Writer’s Block
Many students use AI when they get stuck on a project or paper. For example, screenwriting students have asked ChatGPT to develop characters and plotlines. Marketing students may use it to generate product ideas tailored to their interests while others use AI to figure out where to start or how to structure something.
2. Organizing Notes and Study Materials
AI can help students turn long lecture notes or dense reading materials into manageable study guides revealing the most relevant information and saving students hours of study time. For example, some students have used ChatGPT, Google NotebookLM, and Quizlet to create flashcards, podcasts, and mock exams.
3. Proofreading and Writing Help
Grammarly and ChatGPT assist students with checking grammar, spelling, tone, and clarity. Many students use programs like Grammarly for help with editing and correcting errors on essays and other written work.
4. Tutoring and Explaining Difficult Topics
Students often turn to artificial intelligence when their classes are challenging or fast-paced. For example, one student used AI to better understand complex systems in pharmacology and EKG patterns. Another student asked AI to explain confusing financial management problems in simpler terms. Artificial intelligence can provide a safe space to ask questions without feeling intimidated in class.
5. Study Planning and Time Management
AI can help students create study schedules, set priorities, and avoid procrastination. Students use AI to develop a study plan that balance their time across subjects so they aren’t spending too much time on any single assignment. These tools can help students stay organized and manage their full course loads while balancing jobs or extracurricular activities.
The Benefits of AI in Learning
Although AI can be a positive tool that helps college students achieve all kinds of success, it can just as easily ruin a student’s career in seconds.
The positives surrounding AI are nearly endless. Just to start:
- Instant Response Time
- Free and Easily Accessible Information
- Endless Ideation
- Accurate Proofreading
- Advanced Outlines
- Quick Data Analyzation
- Enhanced Productivity
- Reduced Labor
- Increased Innovation and Efficiency
- Minimizing the Margin for Error
Used well, artificial intelligence helps students stay organized and work smarter. It can help enhance learning while keeping students in control of their education.
What Are the Challenges of AI for Students?
AI isn’t perfect. Students and teachers point out some common concerns, including:
- Academic Integrity: Some worry that AI use can cross over into cheating. Professors are seeing more AI-generated work, which may lead to stricter rules.
- Over-Reliance: Using AI too much can reduce creativity, critical thinking, and learning retention.
- Social Impact: AI can decrease collaboration and peer learning.
- Trust and Accuracy: AI can sometimes give wrong or biased information, so students who use these tools should check everything carefully.
Rules and Regulations for Artificial Intelligence
AI isn’t going away anytime soon, and colleges are learning how to manage it. Most schools now have specific rules and guidelines about when and how to use AI. Because there’s no single national policy, each school and professor can set their own standards.
For example:
- Some professors require students to cite any use of AI.
- Others prohibit it completely or allow it only for certain assignments.
- Many schools use AI detection tools like Turnitin, which can flag sections of a paper written with AI.
Every professor has their own approach. Some let students use AI for brainstorming or outlining, while others ban it altogether. Turnitin is widely used to check for AI-generated writing. When it flags too much AI content, points can be deducted or, in some classes, the entire assignment might need to be redone.
How Can You Find the Best Balance With AI?
AI is changing how students interact with teachers and classmates. Some students use it to clarify ideas or understand difficult topics better. Others avoid AI to keep their critical thinking and problem-solving skills sharp. Many students use AI in the “gray areas” like checking grammar or summarizing notes without letting it do all the work for them.
Finding the right balance often means using AI as a support tool. It can help you learn more efficiently, while you still rely on your own judgment, analysis, and creativity to do the deeper thinking.
Professors are also rethinking how they teach. Students now use AI to prep for class discussions, summarize lectures, and organize what they learn. This is raising new questions about what learning looks like in the age of AI.
Use AI Tools Wisely
AI can be a powerful tool for students, but it doesn’t replace human learning, creativity, or empathy. Used responsibly, it can save time, make learning easier, and level the playing field. The key is balance. You can use AI to be more efficient, but keep being creative, thinking critically, and connecting with your peers.
Interested in studying AI as a major? Check out our Top 25 Best Colleges for Artificial Intelligence. You can also try our FREE College Match tool to see which ones may be the best fit for your goals.
