One of the most quickly-growing tools in today’s society can’t be touched, evolves with every use and works around the clock. 

It’s artificial intelligence, and this tool has been especially growing in academic settings with 51% of youth 14-22 claiming to have used generative AI  — a type of AI that includes large datasets of input to generate logical output — according to the report Teen and Young Adult Perspectives on Generative AI. This statistic may reflect the growing prevalence of generative AI being used at Guilford as well. While this statistic can give us a bird’s eye view of students’ AI habits, understanding their feelings about AI can provide a more comprehensive picture.

In some instances, Guilford students acknowledge some positive roles of AI in education. Mahgoub Elmardi, a senior at the early college, states that AI can be a good tool for idea generation, rough drafts and summaries. Elmardi’s political science professor at Guilford, Ken Gilmore, is encouraging AI use in his classroom for that purpose. 

“He helps students get comfortable with using AI properly in a professional setting because whether we like it or not, it’s the future,” said Elmardi.

AI can supposedly have a creative side too — Destini Nyorkor, a music and psychology double major at Guilford, states that AI can play an exciting role in the vocal field by introducing new music possibilities. 

“I think AI and music combined could create beautiful things so I can’t wait to see what people do with it in the future,” said Nyorkor.

In addition, early college junior Favour Faleye specifically remarks on how AI can help students in STEM fields. Faleye claims that AI can serve as a second opinion or fact-checker when studying chemistry.

However, AI can also play negative roles in the academic setting if it extinguishes the need for students to embrace certain cognitive processes. According to Elmardi, once AI goes beyond the point of idea generation and starts becoming a substitute for critical thinking, it becomes an issue, specifically in writing assignments. 

“I think most commonly, students take writing assignments meant to showcase their critical thinking skills and understanding of a concept and instead plug them into ChatGPT, or some other artificial intelligence, and have it do it for them,” said Elmardi. 

Faleye exhibits a similar opinion but adds nuance to Elmardi’s stance. Faleye thinks that AI can hinder independent academic thinking, but mainly only generative AI. Faleye attributes these thoughts to her reasoning that generative AI serves to merely summarize already existing information rather than assessing it critically, which may make a subject seem more simplified and reductive than it is. 

For example, Faleye says that ChatGPT may claim that the Great Migration started only due to more job availability in the north, but may discount other factors such as political movements that influenced this event. 

Non-generative AI, however, may facilitate independent thinking. 

“Most people don’t make a distinction between generative AI and actual machine learning models like the one used in a Nobel Prize for Chemistry,” said Faleye.

Do students think AI will advance to eventually replace human roles in education? To Nyorkor, the answer may be yes. Nyorkor doesn’t see many differences between an AI tutor and a human one, claiming that both an AI and human tutor extract information from other sources and present them. 

In contrast, education is more than merely reiterating information to Elmardi. He emphasizes the importance of not only presenting information but also understanding the thought processes of a mentee when teaching. Unlike a human, AI can’t necessarily complete this skill effectively according to him. 

“I don’t think AI will ever get to the point of understanding those little human intricacies and patterns of the human brain,” said Elmardi.

While Elmardi is firm in his belief that AI lacks the depth to truly understand human cognition, Faleye takes a more measured approach. To her, AI’s potential as an educational tool depends on who it’s being compared to.

“Do they have years of experience on the subject? Then no,” Faleye said. “Are they a student fresh out of high school or a brand-new teacher? Then yes.”

AI’s role in domains of student life other than academics, such as wellness and mental health, also warrants discussion, considering AI’s potentially growing abilities to replicate human interaction. Elmardi thinks this resemblance may eventually pose benefits, but may currently have the opposite effect. Specifically, Elmardi feels that people may overestimate AI’s similarity to humans. 

“I think people expect it to be a replacement for a person, which it is not,” said Elmardi.

Overall, numbers don’t appear to reflect everything when describing AI’s role in education — more intangible battles between AI’s role as a helper and a hindrance may show something deeper.