How AI is Impacting College Students Like Me

A recent story explores the impact of artificial intelligence on college students. When the author was a high school sophomore, she initially embraced ChatGPT's ability to generate flawlessly written essays. However, she soon realized the ethical implications of using the chatbot's suggestions without her own input. Her high school soon became abuzz with discussions about AI, with some students using it to summarize poems without reading them.

The author remained torn, valuing the effort required to read and understand the material. In 2024, she successfully gained admission to her dream school, Duke, which emphasized efficiency alongside accomplishment. Students at Duke focused on completing coursework quickly to pursue extracurricular activities that would enhance their job prospects.

The author noticed many of her peers using AI, which led her to establish a rule: she would use AI for busywork but never for the subjects she loved. Despite this rule, she eventually succumbed to using AI for more intellectually stimulating assignments. When faced with a paper on political polarization, she found herself unable to generate coherent thoughts without AI assistance, leading her to question the value of her college experience.

The author emphasizes that while AI may seem like a luxury, it poses a threat to students' ability to think independently and critically. She resolves not to use AI for her college assignments, recognizing the importance of using her time for self-discovery and intellectual growth.