AI Didn't Break Learning; It Removed the Need to Try
Two studies on education and AI found that students who used AI as a study aid remembered 11% less when tested 45 days later, while students who used an AI system designed to require engagement outperformed their peers by a margin equivalent to 6-9 months of additional learning.
Two recent studies examined the impact of AI on learning. In a Brazilian university trial, 120 college students using ChatGPT as a study aid scored 11 percentage points lower on a retention test 45 days later compared to those who studied without AI. In contrast, a University of Pennsylvania study involving 770 high school students found that an AI system designed to require engagement and thinking led to improved performance on a final exam, equivalent to 6-9 months of additional learning. The difference lies in the design intention of the AI systems - one made thinking optional, while the other made it unavoidable. Students using the 'GenAI tutoring system' spent more time on each problem, focusing on understanding the reasoning behind the answers. The study suggests that the best AI for education is not the one that answers fastest, but the one that helps students think for themselves.
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