News came fast, and a specific artificial intelligence, or AI, took the UCLA world by storm: ChatGPT. Sure, there are so many different AI platforms today — from those that produce knowledge from the web to those that generate images — but something about ChatGPT stuck in the minds of students. It’s so simple, and not to mention, mostly free. AI has become especially prominent the past few years, with people using it for simple tasks like ideas for trips, or to straight up write essays for class. That leads to one main question: Is AI worth it and helping in everyday life, or is it just something people can turn to for an easy way out? Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of AI and its benefits and detriments to the college community, including our own UCLA students.
The Dark Side of AI
1. Misinformation and Bias
AI has many flaws, and you would realize that if you looked close enough. One of the biggest flaws you’d see is that some data may not be accurate to the actual topic you are questioning, especially if that topic comes from a particular academic paper that has not been ran through the system. If we take everything AI says as truth without any verification, we subject ourselves to biased or incorrect opinions, jeopardizing our understanding and even our grade. We have to take what AI says with a grain of salt. While there are plenty of times it has been right, not double checking on your own can lead to issues, making AI a potentially unreliable source.
2. Plagiarism and Academic Integrity
I know, I know, it’s the talk every student is tired of and the one every student gets when it’s syllabus or paper time. Plagiarism is one of the biggest concerns today in an academic setting, and let’s be real, everyone probably knows someone who uses AI all the time, for homework, essays or tests. The main issue with AI is when someone takes what ChatGPT or another AI generator said and turns it in as is, with no rewrites at all. It has happened, and it will happen again. With the many AI checkers and warnings from professors, you don’t want to be the one who takes the fall.
3. Over-Reliance on Technology
It’s argued that AI has led to an over-reliance on technology, particularly that people go directly to AI to find answers instead of looking in their books or academic papers. It’s not just students either, it’s professionals, too. What if students stop seeking answers and only rely on AI for everything? Honestly, I wouldn’t worry too much about this. Yes, our generation is reliant on technology, but the world has been molded into being that way. Every class is on Canvas, we need to communicate through emails and most of our assignments are online. If we’re going to talk about an over-reliance on technology and AI, no one can directly place that on the students. I might even argue that AI encourages more problem-solving when it comes to students asking questions for a greater understanding of the material, rather than just struggling at home.
The Positive Side of AI
1. Personalized Learning and Study-buddy
AI has proven itself to be an effective tool to help students study for their exams. For instance, placing information you know in the system and asking it to provide you questions can help you gauge your understanding without having to go to extra office hours or a tutoring session. Many people don’t have the time or money to pay for tutoring, and AI is proving very efficient in giving students the opportunity to expand their knowledge on subjects they learned or subjects they want to know better. AI can even tailor how it poses questions towards individual learning styles, providing different support to each student depending on their needs.
2. 24/7 Access to Resources
Who wouldn’t want the ability to ask someone, or something, whatever question they have and receive an immediate answer? AI can provide a lot of information, so if someone uses it correctly, they have the ability to quickly expand on their knowledge of a subject. AI doesn’t do the best job of providing analyses or including details, but it does provide some idea of the concepts that need to be addressed, and it can do this whether it is 3 p.m. or 3 a.m. One could argue it’s the best study resource you have — free, fast and always open.
3. Clarifying Questions
I’m sure we’ve all ran into a homework question or concept we either don’t understand the wording of or can’t conceptualize into reality. AI can offer a great breakdown of those questions and help you recognize what they actually mean or are asking you to do. It’s a great study tool and will help you understand the basics so that you know the information on your own in the future.
The Conclusion
AI isn’t going anywhere. It will only become more present in society, so it’s best we learn to work with it than against it. Some professors have adapted assignments to include analyzation of AI, which helps students recognize that it isn’t always correct and that it doesn’t always have the analytical abilities that humans are able to provide. Everyone is adapting.
Using AI as a tool does not mean a student is taking the easy way out either. We work with the technology we are provided with, and if AI is a technology we have in our grasp, we should have the ability to use it, but not abuse it. AI is a good tool for studying and clarification, and so long as we don’t believe everything that comes out as the whole truth, there is no reason that it should be considered a detriment to our education or advancement. In fact, it may even work as a tool that expands our critical thinking rather than diminishing it, because we now have to recognize what is factual and what is not, and we must research and deeply understand concepts to do so.
Bottom line, so long as we strike a balance between using AI as an educational tool and producing our own ideas, we can and should accept its benefits while mitigating its risks in our academic journeys.
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Illustration by Yunseo Kwon/BruinLife
