Is Artificial Intelligence affecting college academics?

 By Tyler Salisbury

As artificial intelligence becomes more common in college classrooms, students and professors are still

trying to find out where helpful assistance ends, and academic dishonesty begins. 

For Jack Shea, a junior at Bridgewater State University, AI is used as a support tool rather than a replacement for his own thinking.

 

“In statistics class I used AI for simplifying equations and walkthroughs of complicated processes,” he said. “In writing, I limit AI usage to reference gathering and converting references to APA format.”

 

Artificial intelligence is changing the landscape regarding how college students tackle assignments, research, and writing.

 

According to a recent survey done by the Pew Research Center, 34% of U.S. adults claim to have used ChatGPT, including 58% of adults under age 30. The findings showcase how mainstream AI tools have become for young adults, as colleges still navigate appropriate academic boundaries.

 

Shea said the technology helps reduce the time spent on time consuming tasks but doesn’t substitute the effort it takes required for assignments.

 

Earlier in his college years, Shea said he used generative AI more often for writing but since has stopped due to effects on his development.

 

“As I’ve grown more focused on my schoolwork, I’ve used Ai less and less to make sure I am actually problem-solving,” he said.

 

Massachusetts Maritime Academy senior Cole Delvecchio said he uses AI to brainstorm when he is stuck with writer’s block.

 

“If I ever find myself stuck, I use it to help get ideas flowing,” Delvecchio said. “It makes my writing process go a lot smoother.”

 

Delvecchio said AI significantly cuts down research time by summarizing a lot of information but still verifies to make sure it is accurate.

 

“It can literally do your whole semester’s worth of work with the push of a button,” he said. “It’s a slippery slope.”

 

Naython Evora-Rosa, a senior at UMass Boston said he avoids using AI for work that should highlight his own understanding.

 

“I actively avoid using it to do things I should know how to do, like calculations for experiments,” Evora-Rosa said.

 

He said AI can be useful for finding reference material but warned about the over dependence of it.

 

“I believe that passing all of one’s cognitive language models is horrible for long-term behavioral health,” he said.

 

He said unclear messages from institutions may contribute to confusion.

 

“I fear that AI’s conditional acceptance within academia lacks a corresponding strong effort to clearly explain its validity and rules,” he said.

 

Darrentz Bernard, also a Bridgewater State student, said AI can create a sense of academic security.

 

“I can feel more comfortable starting an assignment late because if push comes to shove, I can use AI to help me,” Bernard said.

 

He uses Ai to explain incorrect answers and break down research but tries to avoid submitting AI-generated writing that’s his own due to academic consequences.

 

Faculty members say they are observing noticeable shifts in student behavior.

 

Brian Wardyga, a communications professor at Stonehill College, said students are approaching writing as a production task instead of thought-provoking processes more often.

 

“Many now see writing as something that can be generated first and refined later, instead of something that emerges from reflection and revision,” he said.

 

He noticed more technically sound submissions with less depth and originality.

 

“AI can generate structurally sound content, but it doesn’t replicate personal conviction, emotional intelligence or situational nuance,” he said.

 

Wardyga said higher education is shifting away from information delivery and more toward interpretation, evaluation and application, leading faculty to design assignments that emphasize creativity and critical thinking.