Over the past few months, you’ve probably seen the massive rise in popularity of artificial intelligence (AI). Whether it be Chat GPT, Novel AI or even the My AI bot on Snapchat, AI is beginning to change the world— yet people can’t decide whether it’s for better or for worse. This is due to these AI’s impressive capabilities, specifically doing students’ homework and writing their essays. And while students can cheat with these tools, the cheating is ultimately ineffective. But, these AI systems can actually help students’ education, by helping them study or even explaining any complex topic from calculus to world history.

While you may think AI can allow for undetectable cheating, it also has very clear limits that make cheating with it far less effective than you’d think. If you were to try to have an AI write your English essay for you, you’d run into multiple problems. When writing an essay for your teacher, they’ll add specific criteria needed in the essay, like having a certain amount of sources, quotes, or sentences. But when asked to simply create an essay around a specific topic, AI’s like Chat GPT can’t implement everything that’s needed in the rubric. 

To test this, I asked Chat GPT to write me an essay with various prompts, and here’s what I got. When I asked the AI to add various criteria, such as having five sentences or three quotes in each paragraph, it couldn’t do it. These are basic requirements for any essay, and not having them in an essay would lead to a failing grade. 

While cheating with AI may not be very effective, some students may still use it regardless of its faults. And despite this possibility of cheating on homework, AI can also help students—- without just doing it for them. If students don’t understand what they’re learning, AI is able to give an in-depth explanation of any aspect of any topic. 

AI can be used as a study tool within itself— giving students ideas and strategies to help with upcoming assessments. It can tell you unique and innovative ways to study, even when you have little time to do so. 

I asked the AI to give me some ways to study for a test about varying topics, and it gave me around six to ten different study strategies related to the topics. It even adapted its response when I added that I had little time to study. 

The people who claim that AI is ruining education aren’t looking at the bigger picture. While AI is capable of allowing students to cheat on their homework and essays, it can also help students become smarter and more capable. Ultimately, all of it leads to a choice: either to cheat or to use the AI as a way to learn, becoming a more well-rounded student.