(Graphic by Grace Lema using images by Canva)
By Amari Pocknett
Artificial intelligence may make learning easier, but professors warn it is also reshaping education in troubling ways.
English Professor Patricia Allen worries students “will be cheating themselves out of the education that they need to thrive in the world.” Allen said many students don’t realize that using AI on assignments is considered cheating and may not understand how it affects their peers. “Teachers often set standards based on the best papers or exam scores and judge everyone else in class by those standards, so people who don’t use AI may end up with lower grades unfairly,” Allen added.
Another concern is students’ growing dependence on AI study tools. Sociology Professor James Love warns of “over-reliance, erosion of critical thinking, and the temptation to substitute AI-generated content for authentic engagement with course material.” Many students now provide only brief instructions and let AI complete the work, saving time but sacrificing real learning. Over time, students risk regressing in writing, problem-solving and critical thinking.
Communication Professor Tyler Daniels has seen similar patterns. “There’s Artificial Intelligence, and then there’s artificial creativity,” Daniels said, noting that some students’ “natural intelligence was compromised somewhat” as they place more faith in technology than in themselves.
The rise in AI use is also forcing professors to rethink their teaching. Daniels now enters assignment guidelines into ChatGPT to ensure they aren’t easily cheatable, “and in each instance, ChatGPT had no idea what the heck I was talking about.” Love said he has “integrated more in-class writing, collaborative analysis, and assignments that require students to bring in lived experience, field observations, or course-specific data that AI cannot fabricate meaningfully.”
What’s at stake is more than grades; it’s the development of the abilities that higher education is meant to cultivate. As Artificial Intelligence becomes more powerful and accessible, students and educators face a critical decision about whether to let it dilute real learning or use it responsibly as a supplement. The challenge now is ensuring that technology supports education rather than replaces it.
