Most students nowadays have used Artificial Intelligence (AI) at school, often without fully understanding its impact on their learning. The rise of apps like ChatGPT and Claude has made AI more accessible than ever to a generation of students.
After speaking with classmates and teachers about their own personal experiences with AI tools, junior Nashida Hoque shared that she only uses AI for high-pressure situations. She said, “I’ll use it as inspiration and for revising.”
Similar experiences can be seen with junior Jonas Mckeen, who shared, “I use AI when I’m in a rush,” and that he also uses AI as a learning tool. He mentioned that he will turn to AI tools as a last resort instead of turning in assignments late.
AI can be helpful in dire situations, but at what cost? A 2025 study from MIT Media Lab, titled “Your Brain on ChatGPT,” reveals the significant trade-offs of AI usage.
The researchers found that students who wrote essays using only their brain or a search engine showed stronger cognitive retention, with 83% of AI users unable to recite work they had written just minutes prior, compared to only 11% of those who did not use AI.
Teachers have seen firsthand the effects of AI usage in their classrooms. Ms. Wynn, the 9th-grade English teacher at NYC Museum School, has had a lot of experience navigating AI in her classroom. She noticed that students often ask to do assignments at home and return the next day with perfect work.
When asked how she notices AI usage in her classroom, Ms. Wynn said, “I know how you write, I know how you speak. If the language doesn’t sound familiar, that’s going to lead me to suspect what you’ve been doing.”
When asked if there are any benefits that students can gain from AI, Ms. Wynn said, “If used correctly, I think it can have a positive effect — not only on student learning, but on the classroom. If you add ideas and enhance ideas, it can suggest things that you maybe wouldn’t think of.”
Similarly, Hoque said that AI can help students identify blind spots in their writing and is effective in helping students study for tests.
AI can be an advantageous resource when utilized the right way. As AI becomes more embedded in students’ lives, schools will have to figure out how to work with it rather than against it.
