AI as tutor or shortcut: The difference may shape student learning

Confessions of complete dependence on AI chatbots, of not being able to think of writing without ChatGPT, are increasingly heard in classrooms and offices. While the debate around generative AI gains steam, with Anthropic's chief executive calling this month for the industry to slow the pace of AI capability gains, the effect of AI on Gen Z and Alpha is something everyone is curious about. Will a generation swept by the wave of artificial intelligence still look to develop its own thinking in the formative years of life?A recent study following 26,811 secondary-school students in central China found that after students adopted generative AI, their homework scores rose 18% while the time spent completing homework fell 30%.Then came the closed-book examinations. Within six months, researchers estimated exam scores were 20% lower, and on two high-stakes entrance examinations the estimated declines eventually reached 24% and 18%.