The Rising Trend of AI in Academics

Written by: Manhoor Fatima

AI is one of the biggest tools dominating our lives today, with its presence in business, technology, and studies. Every student these days is immersed in AI. With tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude used in daily life, the question arises: Is it helpful or harmful? The answer, however, is simple: it is both. Yes, it is both. If it is used as an assistant, it’s great! However, if it’s used as a servant, it’s the worst.

AI as an assistant is a tool that can help with understanding, skills, learning, and concepts. It simplifies hard equations and concepts into simpler, easier, and more concise explanations, boosting knowledge, analytical skills, and logical thinking. It can be an efficient teacher and guide, providing resources and content in under a minute, reducing research time, and giving you more room to master other skills and complete other tasks. Its advanced logic and reasoning can help you develop ideas, look at broader perspectives, and master your strengths. Moreover, it’s free, so the cost of extra academics can be reduced, supporting self-study.

AI as a servant, however, is the worst punishment one can give themselves. Students who rely too much on AI harm their growth. A controlled MIT study found that students using AI (like ChatGPT) to write essays showed much lower brain activity compared to those doing it themselves. The “brain-only” group actually did better on neural, linguistic, and scoring metrics. Reliance on AI for everything, such as research and essays, prevents the development of analytical skills, writing skills, and logical reasoning, which can negatively affect academic performance.

A study in Education and Information Technologies found that reliance on generative AI correlates with lower academic self-esteem, learned helplessness, and poorer performance—particularly among students with lower conscientiousness or self-discipline. Moreover, heavy reliance on AI can lead to poor decision-making, which can drastically impact students’ lives and futures. Many students have started finding solace in AI, thus living in delusion and isolating themselves from others.

It can be easily concluded that AI is a powerful tool, robustly creeping into our daily lives. However, setting boundaries and limits is the best way to navigate its usage. Use it as a tool, and it becomes your path to success; use it as a servant, and it becomes your way to self-destruction. It has countless benefits—from passive income generation, skill development, and research resources to having the world in the palm of your hand—but considering the lack of education regarding its usage, it is becoming addictive and destructive.

So, AI should be used as an assistant, not a companion or servant.

Mahnoor Fatima.