Image: Via Julien Tromeur (Unsplash)
When I first heard about AI, it was always in a sci-fi movie. You’d hear stories about AI robots taking over the world or the dangers of AI gaining consciousness. It was all fake futuristic movies, though, nothing I ever really took seriously. That is, until this year. I look around me now, and I see the beginnings of a ruined civilization.
In almost every class, I always see at least a few kids with some sort of AI website open. Whether this be ChatGPT, Canva, Gemini, Deepseek or one of the many others available to the public. They sit lying back in their chairs, watching the computer do every step of the work for them. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence that so many of them were in my class, and then as I went to more and more classes, it only got worse. I began asking myself numerous questions as confusion and surprise filled my brain.
Why have we accepted that laziness is okay? To open up an AI website is accepting defeat and that you cannot complete a task yourself. That’s not saying needing help is a problem, but there are numerous other ways to get help without AI. Whether that be seeking a professional, asking peers or doing your own research, there are many ways that you can complete a task yourself while also being productive.
Not doing the work yourself welcomes laziness into your life, as you give up the right to think. You are no longer problem solving or attempting to use your brain in any productive way. No one ever said life was easy, so taking this shortcut now will only hurt you in the long run.
The other question I had was: What does this mean for the future of humanity? If we continue to stay the way we are, I have to imagine things will only get worse. AI will only get better, and unless there is a stop put to it, it will be impossible to ignore. If humans continue to give up their right to be human, then we are destined to lose humanity.
I’ve heard many people discuss the issue of the future of teaching and how AI can be used in the classroom. While I understand the sentiment of teachers not ignoring but instead adapting to it, I have to disagree on almost every front. AI is the future, there is no doubt about that. But unless we find a way to introduce problem-solving with AI, then as it stands, I think it makes no sense to involve AI in the classroom.
I’ve heard talks that AI can be used like a calculator, where it is used sparingly but not at all times. This makes no sense to me. This would be the same as typing the entire problem into a calculator, and then it just gives you the answer. There are steps to a calculator, and in a lot of math problems, you can’t use the calculator for the whole problem. The only steps in AI are “write an essay about (whatever)” and “make this sound human.”
Now, obviously, even with all of the bad, there are some useful parts of AI. Whether this be aiding in the search for cures for disease and illness, boosting the economy with more employment opportunities, or analyzing data to forward scientific research. I understand that there are many great things about AI, and I’m not trying to ignore this aspect of it. This is not what I’m complaining about here, though, as I am talking about the students too lazy to write an essay themselves.
Like this article. What if I told you I made this entire article with AI? Would you believe me? The fact that you have to think about it is the scariest part of AI — it has become so hard to tell the difference. This is why I think this type of AI should not be available to the public. I have only in very rare situations seen other students use AI tools in a way that isn’t just an act of laziness. I’m not saying to abolish AI, but to limit how much AI is available to the public. This way, more people are influenced to solve problems and do work themselves, instead of relying on something else to do it for them.
The conversation about AI honestly makes me so worried for the future of humanity. To anyone who uses AI consistently for work, I implore you to try and do it yourself. The effects aren’t immediate, but I promise you’ll be a more critically-thinking and productive member of society over time. Don’t let AI dehumanize us by taking away our creativity and thinking abilities, we are all better than that.
Samuel J. Beadle is a first-year English major. SB1033446@wcupa.edu.