Today I am interviewing Yanis Triaa, one of my many former students, but a very special one as he has on numerous occasions come to speak at one of our Workshops “About Your Future”, which I co-organise with Antoinette d’Aligny, also known as one half of M & A (Marieke and Antoinette) where we show young people how to choose their future studies, what to look out for and how to discover who you really are, what your strengths and weaknesses are as well as your interests and skills.

Today with Yanis, we are going to talk about Artificial Intelligence, or AI in short, but before we start, just a bit more information on the subject, especially for students.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems designed to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. This encompasses technologies such as chatbots capable of understanding questions and responding with human-like answers, as well as systems that can recognize objects in images.

One notable example is Generative Pre-trained Transformer 4 (GPT-4), an AI model developed by OpenAI, the creators of the ChatGPT chatbot. ChatGPT’s adaptability makes it a valuable tool in numerous domains, supporting professionals, students, and individuals in achieving their goals efficiently. Time Management, Event Planning, Research, Content Creation are all made easier with the help of AI.

For some time now, AI has also become an invaluable tool for students. It supports tasks like note-taking (e.g., with platforms such as Coconotes), creating resumes, generating quiz questions, and writing essays. While its versatility and usefulness are undeniable, there is concern that its convenience may hinder people from developing essential learning skills. But why is this the case?

Well, first of all, over-reliance on AI can discourage students from engaging in deep analysis, brainstorming, and creative thinking, which are essential skills in academic writing. Don’t forget that by letting AI write essays, students may bypass the research and study process, which is critical for understanding the subject. They might submit essays without fully grasping the concepts or arguments presented.

So, students who frequently use AI tools may not develop or practice their grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structuring skills, which are crucial for effective communication. Therefore, repeated reliance on AI could result in weaker overall proficiency in writing over time.

Besides which, writing essays involves learning through drafting, receiving feedback, and revising. AI-generated content eliminates this iterative process, depriving students of constructive criticism and growth.

On top of that, over-reliance on AI could foster a habit of taking shortcuts, reducing students' motivation to invest time and effort in their studies and this dependency may affect their problem-solving and independent learning capabilities in the long term. Don’t forget the SATISFACTION one gets after writing a great essay!

At the same time, AI tools occasionally generate incorrect or misleading information. Students who fail to fact-check may inadvertently include inaccuracies in their essays. That is never a good idea!

These adverse effects underscore the importance of striking a balance—leveraging AI tools to assist rather than replace the writing process and fostering accountability and critical engagement in learning.

To conclude, using AI is great but to be honest, to generate essays without acknowledgment might violate academic integrity policies, leading to issues of plagiarism as it creates ethical concerns about whether students are truly earning their grades. So, beware and don’t just give Chat GPT orders to do all your work for you, but rather use it as a tool and all will be well.