A study of secondary school teachers in the UK found that students using artificial intelligence are losing critical thinking skills.
Two-thirds said they had seen a decline among children and said speech-to-text technology meant they no longer felt the need to spell.
One teacher told a National Education Union poll: “Students are losing core skills such as thinking, creativity, writing and even conversational skills.”
“AI is disrupting learning, including problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration,” said another. A third anonymous contributor added: “Children no longer feel the need to spell as speech-to-text replaces knowledge.”
The government has called for an AI-powered digital revolution in schools, announcing plans in January to develop AI tutoring tools to provide one-on-one learning support to up to 450,000 disadvantaged students.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said at the time: “AI tutoring tools have the potential to transform access to tailored support for young people, bringing tutoring, a privilege of the lucky few, to every child who needs it, so all children can achieve and thrive.”
A survey of 9,000 state school teachers by the NEU, which is convening in Brighton, found that 49% opposed the government’s AI tutoring plan, while just 14% supported it.
They fear it will be used to cut costs and undermine the value of teaching skills. “Students who need a tutor often need support beyond academics, and AI doesn’t provide that,” said one respondent.
Another student said, “Students would not be motivated by an AI tutor,” and a third said, “Disadvantaged students need the human interaction of a tutor, not an AI, to improve social skills and reduce social isolation.”
Although teachers are skeptical about students using AI and complain that it encourages cheating on exams and homework, some admit they are increasingly relying on it to do their jobs.
As many as 76% of people use AI in their daily tasks, up from 53% last year. Primarily used for creating resources (61%), planning lessons (41%), and managing (38%). Only 7% use AI tools for grading.
However, 49% of schools do not have policies governing the use of AI by staff or students, and 66% do not have policies specifically for students.
“Staff are not trained to use it properly but are using it, resulting in substandard slop,” was one comment in the new poll. Another said: “AI can be a valuable educational tool if used correctly. It needs regulation and guidance, and all schools should have training and policies in place for staff and students.”
NEU General Secretary Daniel Kebede said: “Students must be able to think for themselves. This is at the heart of learning, but our research shows that reliance on AI is impacting on students’ ability to think critically.”
“Experts are not convinced that AI tutoring is a silver bullet to close the opportunity gap for disadvantaged students. Governments are taking the risk of introducing AI tutoring before its impact is properly understood.”
A government spokesperson said: “Our mission is to break the link between background and success, and the introduction of AI tutoring tools will help make that a reality, allowing us to extend tailored support, often reserved for the privileged few, to all children who need it.”
“No technology should replace the core knowledge and fundamentals of disciplined thinking that prepare students for the rest of their lives. But we must also prepare our children for a digitally-enabled world. That’s why our school white paper We have a clear plan in place to ensure that all young people are used safely, critically and responsibly so that all young people can achieve and develop.”
