Artificial Intelligence (A.I.): The Hail Mary for every student overloaded with work and trying to meet deadlines. One could ask, what distinction does this heavenly program really have from God himself? It is all knowing, works at the speed of light and, best of all, A.I. is refreshingly concise.
You might even assume that such a seemingly-flawless tool could only boost student morale and dedication. But unfortunately for us scholars, recent studies have mercilessly crushed those dreams.
Asking my peers for their thoughts regarding programs like ChatGPT, I got a pretty small range of responses. Most were under the impression that, as long as you complete the majority of the work on your own, there’s no problem in using a chatbox to generate ideas, correct grammar and critique your project.
“The only problem I see is using ChatGPT to cheat on tests.” says Gavin Smith, a senior TuHS student. But if we disregard personal opinions on the matter, and look purely at facts, what does the evidence show
Statistical Slope
In 2014, the National Center for Educational Progress
(NAEP) reported that 25 percent of high school students were below the basic level of understanding and interpretation of written text, with only 48 percent reaching standards. Keep in mind, the NAEP is designed to calculate the baseline of knowledge expected for higher education and the workforce. While there is no universal measurement for a person’s intelligence and chance at success, accord-
ing to the California Department of Education, NAEP testing is a pretty good indicator of student achievement.
That projection of knowledge took a tumble only a year following the introduction of advanced A.I. to the general public. In 2024, the NAEP reported only 35 percent of students met standards for the same skills – a disconcerting 13 percent decline. That drop is nearly as steep as the one your heart takes when you envision your mom’s reaction upon receiving the report card. Terrifying. Naturally, the search for a reason behind this decline began immediately, but it didn’t take long to find the not-so-inconspicuous culprit.
Man v. Bot
A.I. quickly became a prominent resource as soon as it became easily accessible to the masses, making it almost essential to a wide range of industries. For example, sectors like data entry, customer service, translation, etc., are already seeing a major influx of employee replacement. You know that stupid robot that answers your call when you phone the bank, and is never able to understand your request to speak with an actual person? That pretty much sums up the work ethic of artificial intelligence. On a larger scale, National University in San Diego notes that roughly 14 percent of jobs in the U.S have already been replaced, with a projected rise to 30 percent by 2030.
Besides stolen jobs and dropping grades, teachers and parents alike have also begun noticing a lack of creativity, ambition, and work ethic among students.
According to TuHS English teacher Anthony Mooney, some students are “not utilizing their own critical thinking skills or sitting with the discomfort of having to figure something out on their own.” He continued, “I worry about the long-term consequences of that on all people, not just my students.”
Overall, ChatGPT and its sibling websites are proving themselves to be very impactful, just not in the ways we wished for. This is already clear in the ever-thinning job market, and is now especially notable in academics, serving as a distressing marker for our future. The main question being asked right now is whether we should fight against this rapidly evolving tech or embrace the brutal change.
What notable changes have you seen in students/their productivity since ChatGPT became popular?
I think their first inclination (some of them) is to consult Chat-GPT. This is a bit scary because it means they’re not utilizing their own critical thinking skills or sitting with the discomfort of having to figure something out on their own. I worry about the long-term consequences of that on all people, not just my students. In terms of their productivity, we’ve mainly switched to on-demand writing for larger assignments, so that hasn’t changed much. I can monitor any use of AI, but for analysis and deep reflection related to literature, if AI is used then productivity goes down.
Are you concerned about what effect it will have in the long term, and do you support its usage in the classroom?
I do support the use of AI for idea generation and research. I think it can make research and idea building more efficient. However, just allowing it to do the thinking for you worries me. There are already studies that demonstrate an actual change in brain chemistry and capability with over-reliance on AI. Now more than ever we need a future populace who can exercise strong critical thinking skills.
