Why A.I. Shouldn't Be Used in the Classroom by Jadelyn Villa

Everyone loves an easy way out. As a group of students pursuing higher education, I’m sure we all know how tempting it can be. Assignments can pile up, and we are quickly left with mountains of homework that seem impossible to finish. With this new era of artificial intelligence upon us, many decide it’s best to use sites like ChatGPT or ClaudeAI to complete their work with more “efficiency.”

However, I disagree. 

As a fellow classmate with too much on her plate and an English major who values the writing process, I believe that generative A.I. devices should not be used in the classroom, and I hope to persuade you to realize that in this case, the drawbacks truly outweigh the benefits. 

One of these drawbacks is the lack of real human connection and experience in writing. A major part of education is the uniqueness of real human connection, and A.I. jeopardizes this

connection. Without an understanding of human emotions, writing can become misconstrued.

A newsletter from California State Polytechnic University expands upon this, clarifying, “While AI algorithms have made impressive strides in the ability to generate text, they still lack the depth of understanding and empathy that humans possess. This can result in writing that is less nuanced and less effective in conveying the intended message.” All forms of artificial intelligence threaten education too, not just the generative type. Humanoid robots and AI-generated curriculums jeopardize not only the academic success of students but also their social needs.

Despite this, some people aren’t very fond of writing; so why should it matter to them? With the means to produce finished pieces on command, students can rely on artificial intelligence to complete assignments. This seems like the perfect way out, but in reality, this damages the ability to think for oneself and enables lazy behavior.

Imagine a once hardworking student using ChatGPT to do his homework. The only stimulation his mind receives is feeding AI a prompt and copying the content it spits out. Due to this, he slowly loses the ability to think critically and give original ideas in intellectual conversation without a chatbot by his side.

An article from Tech Business News explains, “This concern is particularly relevant in subjects that require critical thinking and analysis, such as literature, history, and philosophy. In these fields, students must learn to engage with complex ideas and perspectives, and to develop their own arguments and interpretations based on evidence and analysis. Relying too heavily on AI language models could potentially undermine these skills and lead to a lack of

intellectual curiosity and independent thinking.”

Even outside of these fields of study, basic cognition of the world around you is crucial. By placing the weight of education on the final outcome rather than the process it takes to get there, it completely misses the point of reading/writing comprehension, where the process is far more important than the product.

AI isn’t always right either, there have been cases of fake sources and information in generative AI sites like ChatGPT. Instilling co-dependence on a system that can be incorrect is extremely dangerous.

And we all know what co-dependence leads to: plagiarism, an action with the worst consequences. By using the work A.I. bots create for you, it makes it easier and easier to justify cheating off of a fellow classmate or from information online. On top of this, generative artificial intelligence actually steals data from writers across the internet to create its responses, meaning A.I. is inherently rooted in plagiarism itself.

Laws for academic cheating are also quickly adapting to this new surge of generative artificial intelligence. According to an article from the National Education Association, “Over one in

four teachers in a recent survey said they have caught students cheating by using ChatGPT,” and so abusing chatbots can put an undeniable pause on your education by causing class failure and/or expulsion from school entirely.

All in all, artificial intelligence is harmful to the future of education. It simultaneously endangers human credibility, fosters dependency, and enables plagiarism. I hope you learned the risks chatbots like these pose to your learning experience, and I encourage you to find the power in writing for yourself. Returning to the heart of writing and learning is crucial in protecting the future of education for students, teachers, and society alike!