Students in schools and universities are increasingly relying on large-scale language models to think through their studies, and researchers and students say the changes are starting to impact cognitive skills and participation in class.
Increasing reliance on AI in the classroom
It is becoming common for students to outsource their thinking to AI tools, with a measurable impact on academic performance. Elementary school students are reported to be losing cognitive skills, and some are seeing declines in test scores.
A similar pattern is emerging in higher education. A student at Yale University described how the use of AI is starting to shape the dynamics of the classroom, with colleagues now frequently utilizing these tools during classes and discussions. According to this student, class participation became more homogeneous and less clearly shared perspectives.
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Decline in independent thinking and discussion
Students report that conversations in seminars have become increasingly predictable, with participants repeating similar ideas rather than offering a variety of perspectives. One student noted that while discussions once reflected diverse approaches, they now tended to converge around similar ideas.
Another student described how many of his classmates uploaded their course materials to an AI system at the beginning of class, effectively outsourcing their preparation. We have also observed cases where students rely on AI to answer instructor questions in real time during class.
Researchers link these trends to broader concerns about human expression. A study cited in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences argues that reliance on large-scale language models can influence the way individuals approach problems, use language, and reason about complex problems.
Concerns about cognitive effects
Morteza Deghani, a professor of psychology and computer science at the University of Southern California and co-author of the study, said the implications are alarming. He warned that reduced cognitive diversity and increased intellectual passivity could have broader societal implications.
“If people lose cognitive diversity or become intellectually lazy, of course that will have a huge impact on our society,” he says.
This finding suggests that as AI tools become more integrated into academic environments, their impact may extend beyond individual performance and reshape patterns of thinking and interaction in educational environments.
