Artificial Intelligence: Friend or Foe?

As a “Millennial,” I am part of the generation that bridged the gap into the digital age. I was born in the time before a desktop computer was in every home, and you could still find pay phones to make collect calls. I graduated from high school with an iPhone that could make phone calls and search the internet from anywhere in the world. I can remember my teachers telling me to memorize math formulas because “you won’t have a calculator with you all the time,” while in the next period, I was using complex graphic design programs like Adobe Photoshop in my art class. When I graduated high school, the information that I needed for life was already at my fingertips if I was willing to look for it, but I had to use that information to be productive.

Now, nearly twenty years later, I find myself teaching in the midst of another huge shift in society: the age of artificial intelligence (AI). I am having the same existential struggles, I’m sure my teachers were having. How do I challenge my students to learn and grow, when not only is the information available, but also the means to create? If a program can produce a five-page essay, students can dictate messages and notes, and a bot can read information to them, what am I supposed to teach? The real difficulty isn’t in educating students. The crisis is in creating a desire to learn when everything is given to you. 

What is the Effect of AI on Young Minds?

We are living in the information age, but many people are lacking in knowledge. The word of the year for 2024 was “Brain Rot” because the majority of the information that is clouding our brains will have very little impact on our success. We need to encourage students to seek knowledge and understanding of things that will help them grow professionally and mentally.

Researchers have become increasingly concerned with the long-term effects of technology like social media but also AI on the brains of young people. Many studies have already documented the psychological effects of social media on adolescents. The emergence of “Doom Scrolling” and continuous consumption of short-form videos has resulted in “difficulties in concentration and information retention and a preference for instant gratification” (Arora & Hastings, 2024, p.2). Recently, they have been seeking to measure the cognitive impact of having an abundance of information and stimulation, replacing the need for critical thinking, synthesis, and analysis. The results have been daunting. 

An MIT study on brain function highlighted two main problems that arise from the use of AI. First, the convenience of using the technology reduced the inclination of users to question the results, leading to an “echo chamber” where the shareholders are able to promote their bias without resistance (Kosmyna & Hauptmann et. al., 2025, p.143). Second, the study showed that AI tools “may unintentionally hinder deep cognitive processing, retention, and authentic engagement with written material” (Kosmyna & Hauptmann et. al., 2025, p.138). Students who use AI will have a superficial understanding of the information and will have difficulty retaining what they have learned.

What should we be teaching students about AI?

Speaking with professionals across various industries, from colleagues in education, engineers at major technology companies, financial executives, and respected researchers, the use of AI is not only accepted but encouraged as a tool to boost productivity. However, it is also hurting industries. Graduate-level professors are reminding aspiring principals not to use AI for assignments, and peer-reviewed research papers are being submitted with AI errors that have not been corrected before publication. This simply should not be happening. The question is not if AI will be a part of students’ lives; the question is “how will AI shape their lives?” AI is a tool that we need to teach students how to use correctly.

Things students need to know:

AI does not think. Generative AI simulates thinking but gives you a response to a question based on a compilation of data and cues. It does not possess the emotional or social processes necessary to actually think. This often leads to generative AI affirming or supporting the biases of the person asking the question. It also leads to mischaracterizing or misrepresenting data when used in writing (Klarin & Hoff et al., 2024, p.2).

AI can be wrong. Not everything AI produces is accurate. We have all seen the viral 6 fingered people in AI-generated images, but the same thing happens in written information produced by AI. While significant improvements are constantly being made, AI is still known for including irrelevant or inaccurate information in writing (Klarin & Hoff et al., 2024, p.2).

AI is only as good as the prompt. As mentioned earlier, generative AI responds to the prompt of the user. If the user is not able to articulate their question or request with clarity, then the AI-generated product will be of lower quality or accuracy. Learning how to “interact” with and “set parameters” is important.

AI can be used to study. Just as teachers are using AI to find new ways to support students. It can also be used by students to improve their learning through the use of quizzes, outlines, or the simplification of information. When used effectively, AI can improve the executive functioning of students, particularly those with learning disabilities or in need of differentiated instruction (Klarin & Hoff et al., 2024,p.3). 

How this applies to students:

It is time as educators to stop burying our heads in the sand and start accepting that AI is here to stay, and change has already come. It will only get more difficult to detect, and policing its use will be a losing battle. Instead of discouraging students from using the technology, we need to give students the tools and information to use AI with discernment and integrity. We need to develop standards and expectations for the responsible use of AI and provide opportunities for students to expand their learning. Arora and Hastings (2024), suggest that educational institutions “have a unique opportunity to influence the next generation’s online habits” (p.4).

A shift also needs to occur in the way that we assess students, especially in English. More time needs to be spent on skills and less time on long writing projects. Teaching students analysis and rhetoric will be of far more value for their future than writing essays. While AI can write an essay, it cannot help you to create meaning or form an opinion. Activities need to focus on purpose instead of product. Students need to know how to interrogate sources and craft questions. Teaching these skills will prepare them for whatever the future holds. 

References:

Arora, S., Arora, S., & Hastings, J. D. (2024). The Psychological Impacts of Algorithmic and 

AI-Driven Social Media on Teenagers: A Call to Action. 2024 IEEE Digital Platforms and Societal Harms (DPSH), Washington, DC, USA, 2024, Pp. 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1109/DPSH60098.2024.10774922

Klarin, J., Hoff, E., Larsson, A., & Daukantaité, D. (2024). Adolescents’ use and perceived 

usefulness of generative AI for schoolwork: exploring their relationships with executive functioning and academic achievement. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/frai.2024.1415782

Kosmyna, N., Hauptmann, E., Yuan, Y. T., Situ, J., Liao, X.-H., Beresnitzky, A. V., Braunstein, I., & Maes, P. (2025). Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task.