By Ksenia Kurenysheva
In the quickly developing world of Artificial Intelligence, even a positive effect can be considered a byte-sized problem…All jokes aside, AI is becoming one of the hottest topics circling the globe, mostly regarding the ‘detrimental’ effects that it inflicts upon students. Thus, researchers, programmers, teachers and parents all claim that AI must be banned in education and schooling environments, while children’s usage should be closely monitored, however, as with everything, there’s another side to the story, one with a more positive spotlight, and this article seeks to understand both perspectives.
To begin with, a vast number of parents have expressed their concerns regarding Artificial Intelligence, especially the impacts that it may have on their children’s developing brains. According to Education Week, 50% of students (between 12 to 18 years old) use AI for school/studying, which brings up two major concerns with the public; a decrease in a child’s ability to write/analyse texts, and an increase in laziness, unproductivity and unmotivation, fueling children’s desires to neglect their studies and ‘play all day’. This is pernicious to children for a number of reasons: firstly, they develop no sense of determination and as a result are more prone to giving up easier, and secondly, a student’s future will gradually deteriorate (as they don’t study properly, hence are at a higher risk of failing important exams).
However, although Artificial Intelligence has received a bad reputation, it has also been noticed how AI aids students in their studies, without any methods of cheating. Students are able to ask for explanations to tough questions that they have trouble answering, create practice questions/flashcards, and even simulate mini mock tests to prepare themselves for the stress-inducing exam room. When all of these positive attributes of AI combine, they end up saving students tons of time, and this newly freed-up time can be used by children to study more material, dedicate to a new hobby or hang out with friends/family.
All in all, it is safe to say that the debate on whether AI should be used for studying and schoolwork will continue to rage on, however, if there’s anything that you should walk away from this article knowing, it is that most things (including Artificial Intelligence) are safe and harmless when used in the right doses and appropriately, so for now, don’t strip students of this incredibly helpful tool; just occasionally monitor it and explain the potential risks of inappropriate usage.
