Abusing AI tools, many students are lazy to think about their homework

College students see AI as a "learning assistant"

Tran Hoang Long - a student majoring in Information Technology - said: "Every time I am assigned a programming assignment, I usually copy the topic into ChatGPT to see the approach or ask AI to suggest sample code frameworks. Then I rely on that to develop my assignment, so it saves a lot of time." Long admitted that thanks to the AI ​​tool, he can complete his assignments more easily, instead of having to sit and figure it out for hours.

From social sciences to natural sciences, AI tools are becoming a powerful assistant for many students in the learning process. However, not everyone exploits it properly. Instead of using AI as a tool to support learning and developing thinking, many students abuse it to copy verbatim the content generated by AI.

For marketing students like Nguyen Mai Thao, using AI is a regular thing. "From writing scripts, making communication plans to SWOT analysis (strengths - weaknesses - opportunities - challenges), I use ChatGPT to do everything. In just 15 minutes, I completed the group outline for the whole week," Thao shared. She also said that many of her classmates use AI to create presentation slides or forms.

ChatGPT is an indispensable tool for many college students (Photo: Pexels)

Even in specialized fields like Medicine, AI is being used heavily. Many students said they often use ChatGPT to look up drug interactions, mechanisms of action, or conduct medical research.

In fact, regardless of the industry, from technology, media, economics to creative fields, the use of AI tools in university environments has become popular.

However, whether this application really helps students study more effectively or is just a formal way to complete assignments is still a controversial issue.

AI - A double-edged sword

MSc. Truong Quoc Tuan - a lecturer at a university in Da Nang - commented that the explosion of AI in the higher education environment is posing a big challenge: How to effectively exploit this technology without causing students to lose their independent thinking skills and serious learning spirit.

According to Mr. Tuan, on the positive side, AI is greatly supporting students in accessing knowledge quickly, saving time and personalizing the learning process.

"In the past, to understand a topic, students could spend hours searching for documents, reading books, and synthesizing information. But now, with just a few lines of code, they can get a detailed, clearly structured summary or suggestion.

With subjects that are heavy on theory or language such as literature, philosophy, and linguistics, AI is especially effective in suggesting multidimensional perspectives and systematizing knowledge," he shared.

Over-reliance on AI can easily turn users into "digital slaves" (Photo: Pexels)

However, AI also poses many challenges for lecturers and students. "Over-reliance on tools like ChatGPT can cause students to lose their ability to think independently, think critically, lack information verification skills, be easily misled, and use unofficial sources. Many students are used to typing a few lines of code to get the assignment, so they gradually lose the patience to read original documents or analyze an issue in depth.

There are students who use the content returned by AI verbatim without re-reading or evaluating its appropriateness to the context of the assignment. This makes it very difficult for lecturers to properly assess students' true abilities, leading to a serious impact on the quality of learning," added Mr. Tuan.

Suggestions for students to use AI appropriately

From the perspective of a lecturer, MSc. Duong Phi Long - a lecturer in Information Technology at a university in Hanoi - said: "AI cannot completely replace human thinking and creativity, but it will be a useful tool if used properly.

AI can help summarize documents, check spelling, suggest writing structures or generate initial ideas, but learners still have to think proactively when it comes to analyzing, evaluating and relating to real life. That is the necessary skill in the university environment and future work."

Mr. Long added: "Students should learn how to make effective commands, know how to criticize AI-generated content, and at the same time, combine information verification from many different sources to avoid absolute dependence.

In addition, the use of AI needs to be transparent, especially in academic environments, avoiding copying verbatim content without appropriate adjustments."

"Importantly, students need to master technology, have the right attitude towards learning, and clearly understand the limits between "learning support" and "homework help". If exploited properly, AI will be a useful companion in the learning journey.

But if abused, students will be the ones to lose self-study skills and critical thinking, which are what every employer is looking for," Mr. Long emphasized.

Van Anh

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/lam-dung-cong-cu-ai-nhieu-sinh-vien-luoi-tu-duy-bai-tap-20250501165355641.htm