The Negative Impacts of AI on Students: Strategies for College Professors

Your Favorite Bot, Chat GPT

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an increasingly pervasive force in modern society, permeating various sectors, including education. At Saint Anselm College, students are exposed to various forms of AI-powered technologies in their academic pursuits, ranging from virtual assistants to machine learning algorithms.

While these technologies offer several benefits, they also pose significant risks to the academic performance and well-being of students. College professors must, therefore, take proactive measures to mitigate the potential negative impacts of AI on students.

One of the primary concerns associated with AI in education is its potential to impede critical thinking skills. AI-powered tools, such as chatbots and automated essay-graders, can provide students with quick solutions to complex problems, which can lead to a lack of effort and critical thinking
on their part.

For example, when students use chatbots to complete homework assignments, they may not have the opportunity to develop problem-solving skills, leading to a dependency on AI-powered solutions.

In the long run, this can harm their academic performance as they lack the necessary skills to tackle more advanced challenges.

Another risk associated with AI in education is its potential to perpetuate bias and discrimination. AI algorithms are programmed using pre-existing data, which may contain biases that perpetuate negative stereotypes and prejudices.

For instance, if an automated essay-grading system is trained on essays written by male students, it may provide lower scores to female students, who may have different writing styles or perspectives.

This can be detrimental to the academic achievements of students, particularly those from marginalized communities.

To combat these potential negative impacts of AI on students, college professors must adopt various strategies. One of the most effective ways to mitigate the risks associated with AI in education is to educate students on the limitations and benefits of these technologies. Professors can do this by integrating discussions on AI and its impact on society into their curriculum.

By helping students understand the potential consequences of over-relying on AI, professors can encourage critical thinking and promote self-reliance.

College professors can also work towards creating a learning environment that fosters creativity and innovation. This can be achieved by encouraging students to work in groups and to engage in collaborative problem-solving activities that challenge them to think critically and creatively.

Additionally, professors can use a variety of assessment methods, such as essays and oral presentations, to evaluate students’ progress and provide feedback on their critical thinking skills.

In conclusion, AI has the potential to significantly impact students’ academic performance and well-being at Saint Anselm College. While these technologies offer several benefits, including increased efficiency and accuracy, they also pose several risks, such as impeding critical thinking skills and perpetuating bias and discrimination.

To combat these potential negative impacts, college professors must take proactive measures, such as educating students on the limitations and benefits of AI, creating a learning environment that fosters creativity and innovation, and using a variety of assessment methods.

By doing so, college professors can help students develop the necessary skills to succeed academically and thrive in the rapidly evolving technological landscape.

The prompt for this AI generated article was “write an essay about how AI is bad for students at Saint Anselm College and what college professors should do to combat it.”