Is AI Actually Making Us Smarter or Just Lazy?

Is AI Actually Making Us Smarter or Just Lazy?

Everywhere you look in grade 10 right now, people are talking about artificial intelligence. Teachers are constantly stressed that students are using it to copy assignments or write essays for their MYP classes, and to be fair, some people definitely are doing that. But if you look past the panic, AI is making daily life a lot easier if you actually know how to use it as a learning tool rather than just a shortcut to skip the work.

AI as a Learning Tool

For instance, when you are stuck on a difficult concept in physics or a complex math formula, you can ask a chatbot to break it down into simpler steps. It acts like a free tutor that is available twenty four seven when you are studying late at night. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, a significant amount of teenagers use these tools for brainstorming or to clarify things they did not understand during the lecture, rather than just copying and pasting answers (Vogels). When you use it this way, it actually helps you understand the material better because you can ask it infinite follow up questions without feeling awkward.

The Downsides of AI

However, there is a major negative side that we have to talk about. If you rely on AI to do all your heavy lifting, your critical thinking skills are going to suffer. If an algorithm writes every single paragraph for you, you never actually learn how to form an argument or structure your thoughts for exams. The real danger is not that AI is evil, but that it makes it too easy to become completely passive. In the end, AI is a massive win for personal productivity, but only if you use it to power up your own brain instead of letting it do the thinking for you.

Works Cited

Vogels, Emily A. "How Teens Use ChatGPT for Schoolwork." Pew Research Center, 20 Nov. 2023, www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/11/20/how-teens-use-chatgpt-for-schoolwork/.