The useful question is not whether students should use AI. They already do. The useful question is which parts of the work can be delegated without hollowing out the learning.
Delegate the scaffolding, keep the thinking
Asking a model to generate practice questions, explain a concept three different ways, or check whether your argument has a gap is legitimate use. Asking it to write the essay removes exactly the effort that would have taught you to write.
Assume it can be confidently wrong
Language models produce fluent text regardless of accuracy. Dates, citations, formulas and case details need checking against a real source. Treat output as a draft from a fast, unreliable classmate.
Use it to test yourself
One of the strongest uses: explain a topic to the model in your own words and ask it to identify what you got wrong or left out. That is retrieval practice with instant feedback.
Know your school's rules
Policies differ, and misunderstanding them is a real academic risk. If you are unsure whether a use is allowed, ask before submitting, not after.
- AI
- Digital Skills
- Study Skills