Artificial intelligence has quickly become a tool that many students use daily for schoolwork, entertainment or problem-solving. While some see it as a helpful resource, others worry that reliance on AI could lead to a loss of motivation and critical thinking. As students have mixed feelings about how AI is shaping their education.

Sophomore Ailyn Chile admits she uses AI occasionally but prefers to learn from other sources. “I started using AI over a year ago because there were other resources I couldn’t use,” Chile said. “AI gives a lot of good information, but I feel like it’s plagiarized from other sources. It helps me understand more, but I don’t rely on it completely.” While AI has its advantages, Chile believes that too much dependence on it can negatively impact a student’s ability to fully engage with their learning.

While Chile tries to be cautious with AI, another student, who wishes to remain anonymous, has a completely different approach. “I use AI for everything,” the anonymous student said. “Homework, essays, even brainstorming ideas for projects, it just saves me time. I don’t see why I should struggle when AI can do the work faster.” This attitude reflects a growing mindset among students who prioritize efficiency over traditional learning methods. The ease of access to AI-generated content has made it tempting for students to skip the more labor-intensive aspects of their assignments.

Some teachers worry that AI makes it too easy for students to take shortcuts. Chile agrees that AI could be lead to a lack of effort. “It depends on the kids,” Chile said. “I feel like it’s better if we learn from other resources because if we don’t we’re just not gonna care about what we’re doing. AI can make students lazy.” She believes that when students rely too much on AI, they lose the drive to find answers themselves, which can be detrimental to their learning process.

The anonymous student disagrees. “I don’t think AI is making students lazy, I think it’s making school more efficient,” the anonymous student said. “Not every assignment needs deep thinking. Sometimes, it’s just about getting through the work.

There’s also the question of whether AI is affecting students’ ability to think critically. “It helps me understand things,” Chile said, “but if I rely on it too much, I won’t develop my own thinking skills. If students just copy and paste they’re not learning anything.”

The anonymous student believes AI is the future of education. “Schools are going to have to adapt,” the anonymous student said. “AI isn’t going away, so instead of fighting it, teachers should find ways to incorporate it into learning.”