AI and the Learning Process: Friends, Not Substitutes

With AI tools just a few clicks away, it’s never been easier to get quick answers. Stuck on a tricky math question? There’s a tool for that. Confused about a Shakespeare scene? AI can summarize it in seconds. Need a hook for your essay? A chatbot can generate five options instantly.

But here’s the question: when AI does the thinking for us, are we still learning?

Think about a typical study session. A student starts an assignment, runs into a roadblock, and instead of pausing to figure it out, pastes the question into an AI tool. Within seconds, they have a neat solution. It’s efficient. But, what did they actually learn?

I believe real learning often happens in the struggle. When we wrestle with an idea, make mistakes, and slowly figure things out, that’s when understanding deepens. It’s like exercising a muscle: the more you engage it, the stronger it gets. If AI removes the effort entirely, we risk skipping the part where the brain actually grows.

That said, AI isn’t the villain here. It’s a powerful assistant. The challenge lies in how we use it.

For example, instead of asking AI to solve a problem, what if students used it to check their thinking? Or to explain concepts in different ways when a textbook doesn’t make sense? When used well, AI can be a learning partner: providing hints, offering feedback, or guiding students to think more deeply.

Schools and educators are also starting to explore this balance. For example, some teachers may now ask students to submit both their AI-generated answers and a reflection on what they learned from the process. Others may encourage using AI to test different viewpoints in an essay rather than just generating a final draft. These practices promote critical thinking, not passive consumption.

There’s also a growing need for students to become AI-literate. Just like learning how to search effectively on Google, using AI tools wisely is becoming an essential skill. This means knowing when to rely on AI and when to rely on your own reasoning—and being able to tell the difference between understanding a topic and simply copying an answer.

AI isn’t going anywhere. But neither is education. The key isn’t choosing between them– it’s learning how they can support each other. With the right mindset, students can use AI not to bypass learning, but to boost it.