Artificial intelligence (AI) is not a replacement for our own intelligence. The technology promises to transform the way we do almost everything. You’ve likely heard people refer to AI like ChatGPT as a tool, and it most certainly can be; however, in terms of AI being an academic tool to help students, there’s a need for greater attention to how it’s used in that context to ensure that students still actively learn and develop essential critical-thinking skills.
A survey by accounting firm KPMG from October 2025 reported that around 73 percent of Canadian students use generative AI for schoolwork; what’s most alarming is that 48 percent of those students say that their critical thinking skills have declined since using it.
In pre-internet, pre-AI times, there was a necessity to remember what you were reading and learning, both in education as well as day-to-day life, but these days, all you need to do if you don’t remember something is Google it or ask a chatbot. I’m not proposing a return to the old-fashioned pre-internet days; however, we should be aware of the risks to cognitive functioning.
Participants in one study who used generative AI experienced a decline in their neural connectivity and recall, and felt disconnected from their writing. There’s concern that relying on generative AI to produce essays, rather than as a tool to check them, can lead to reduced critical thinking due to weaker engagement of neural networks.
I believe it is important to maintain some human autonomy that can be assisted by the technology, but ultimately, there has to be an active engagement in the work from the student. So, what could a positive use of AI look like for students?
Well, recently, Camosun College announced the addition of AI tools for the Camosun Library Database. Some of these tools include article summaries, natural language searching, and article querying. These tools are designed to help streamline searches for sources and help save time. These are useful to help students sift through the sea of potential sources to more effectively find the most relevant source, but it does not in any way replace the human component in research and writing.
I am not a fan of AI. However, there’s little use in fighting against it completely. The technology is here, and it’s here to stay, but there needs to be great care taken in how the implementation of this ever-advancing technology operates in our lives.
As students, we are doing ourselves a great disservice if we are using generative AI to do our work for us. The temptation is real but over-reliance on AI will rob us of essential skills that will be of great use for life.
So, I urge you to not sacrifice your intelligence on the altar of AI and to persevere through the challenges. As annoying and as stressful as it may be at times, we will be better off for it.