Kennedy High School staff are looking for ways to make students rely less on artificial intelligence (AI) for help, claiming that it is making them forget how to think.
As AI tools, like ChatGPT and Grammarly, spread through classrooms, educators are warning that the once helpful study aid is replacing creativity, curiosity and critical thinking. Many students now rely on AI to write essays, solve math problems and finish assignments faster than ever.
Freshman Kate Michel uses AI occasionally, but only for small details. She said tools like Grammarly help her correct mistakes, but she avoids depending on them for writing or schoolwork.
“I use Grammarly because it helps me fix small spelling and grammar errors,” Michel said. “But I don’t use AI for studying or homework because I think too many people already rely on it, and I don’t want to be one of them.”
Michel believes that depending on AI takes away the purpose of education. She said that when students use AI to do their thinking, they lose the process that makes learning meaningful.
“Using AI is basically the same as cheating,” Michel said. “When you let a computer do your work, you lose the point of learning.”
While Michel avoids AI, some students use it regularly. Freshman Tristina Marbury said she turns to Math GPT for help with difficult lessons or homework.
“I use Math GPT for math homework,” Marbury said. “It helps me study because it can show examples and even make short videos to explain how to solve problems.”
Marbury believes that using AI can be helpful for students, if it is used responsibly. Kennedy High School teachers say the line between help and dependence is becoming harder to see.
Language Arts teacher Sarah Bernhard said she uses ChatGPT occasionally to organize lesson plans and writing prompts, but she worries about what it is doing to students’ minds.
“I don’t think AI will make students lazy,” Bernhard said. “But it can stop them from thinking deeply about problems. It is an easy shortcut when they should be learning how to work through challenges.”
Bernhard said that when students use AI to write or brainstorm, their voices start to sound the same. The essays may look polished, but the individuality disappears.
“It can help students generate ideas or start essays,” Bernhard said. “But if they use it too much, they lose their own purpose and voice.”
Freshman Seminar and math teacher Emily Vest has also seen how AI affects learning habits. She said students are starting to use it as an escape from critical thinking.
“Right now, I haven’t seen students use AI effectively or appropriately,” Vest said. “It has taken away their ability to think through problems and instead pushed them to take the easy route.”
Vest said that while AI can be helpful for teachers in creating materials and reviewing notes, it is changing how students approach challenges. The effort that once built understanding is being replaced by instant answers.
“It has made it easier to make graphic organizers and notes for different students,” Vest said. “But students need to be honest about when and how they use it.”
As AI becomes a daily part of school life, teachers worry that students are giving up the very skills education is meant to teach. For many, the real danger is not that AI is too advanced but that students are letting it think for them.
“AI should help you think better, not think for you,” Vest said.
