Not So Intelligent to Use Artificial Intelligence 

April 19, 2026 - Harper Wahler (9)

It doesn’t take a genius to realize the harm AI is doing to our society as a whole, and it’s even clearer how important it is to limit the use within our education as well. However, I find it just as important to understand the counterargument to this point and the beliefs many hold about its importance to many aspects of our lives. To assist in this, I have asked AI to generate a paragraph defending, conveniently enough, the use of AI in an educational setting. I will branch off from the main points made to conclude whether AI is actually helping or hurting the average student. (Note: the following paragraph is the only aspect of this writing piece that uses AI in any way.)

“AI helps students in three main ways: it makes learning easier, helps find information fast, and saves time on work. It can adjust to how a student learns, give quick answers, and help with things like notes and homework. This makes school a little simpler and less stressful” (Chat GPT).

The first point made in this statement is that AI makes learning easier. Of course, this is a blanket statement and can be relative on a person-by-person basis, but I will address it as it is written. The fact is, learning in and of itself has varying levels of difficulty for each student, and it is understandable that some require additional or simplified explanations of the material given. However, this idea isn’t as simple as one may think. What AI is mainly being utilized for is not merely assistance in learning or understanding the course, but the fulfillment of whole assignments. Having a digital assistant do the work for you is not nearly the same as providing an automated simplification of source material, nor should it be treated as such. In fact, it is far less likely that a student will fully comprehend the lesson the assignment is intended to teach if they do not complete it themselves and take the time to do so. To say one has successfully absorbed the information from a lesson when they have used an AI assistant to complete each assigned piece of work with it is the same as saying one has become a chef simply because they have watched someone else cook. It is far less likely that a student will retain information from an activity if they do not take the time to do it themselves.

The second point made by this AI response was that it helps find information quickly. This is one statement that I will not argue against, as it is simply a fact. AI is very efficient in searching all sources of the web to procure whatever data or information one desires about any given topic. However, it is important to question whether the information provided is accurate and unbiased. Say a student is writing an essay on a more opinionated topic, and they wish to educate themselves on it to fulfill the assignment with as much intelligence as possible to give an accurate representation of their opinion. They may even turn to AI to get quick information on whatever they hope to research. However, what’s to say that the response given won’t lean a particular way or leave out important data points? The possibility of conditioning by the owners of whatever AI assistant the student chooses is always present, and it is hard to find a completely reliable way to use an AI-powered search engine without running this risk.

Lastly, the AI response states that, through its use, students can save time on their assignments. To an extent, this is true. Information can be gathered quickly without the tedious task of scrolling through sources, and assignments can be completed within seconds. What it doesn’t expand upon, however, is what this is doing to you and your ability to work. AI is a valuable resource when used in moderation, but when abused, it can limit the user’s ability to do work without assistance from outside sources. What many students don’t realize is that the purpose of assignments is to exercise their brains and assist in the retention of the material they’ve learned. Without this exercise, your brain loses the ability to work efficiently and to hold on to knowledge you’ll need to know for the future. In situations where AI is no longer an option, it will quickly become apparent how little your brain is capable of doing without its presence.

In conclusion, the choice of whether or not to use AI is ultimately a decision that lies with each student individually. It is unreasonable to say that each and every person who utilizes artificial intelligence is abusing it or allowing it to conduct all processes for them, but regardless, it is still important to know that as a whole AI can oftentimes do more harm than good in our school systems. Before turning to artificial assistance in class, take the first step in reclaiming your own intelligence and attempt to complete each assignment independently and to the best of your ability. When finals and AP exams roll around, you’ll be thanking yourself for taking the time to strengthen your mind and your ability to conduct yourself in a classroom setting.