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PROFILE

Does AI Truly Enhance Learning or Create Dependence in Students?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a revolutionary tool in many aspects of our lives, and this is reflected in the way students have integrated AI tools into their studies. Personally, I have used these technologies to organize ideas, practice programming concepts, and improve the clarity of my writing. However, since the use of these tools has become normalized, I have noticed that without proper use, AI can become a huge distraction, even putting at risk a student’s individual and critical thinking.

That is why I have developed some guidelines so that students can continue using new technologies without sacrificing their individuality.

When and How to Use AI in Academic Studies

  • Support, not replacement: Use AI consciously to generate examples on a topic, clarify doubts, or practice problems, without substituting the student’s own knowledge or submitting assignments created entirely by the tool.

  • Personal feedback: Turn to AI as a “critical reader” that can help review spelling or grammar mistakes, or even provide new ideas for developing a text, but never to write the entire document.

  • Transparency and acceptance: Acknowledge when AI has been used to assist in an academic assignment, so that honesty is maintained with professors and peers.

  • Organizational support: In college, organization is fundamental. AI tools can be used to create study schedules and work plans to help students balance their academic and personal lives.

  • Programming and technical subjects: Use AI as a guide to understand coding errors or practice with algorithm examples but ensure that the student writes and tests their own solutions.

Ethical Implications

  • Academic integrity: Presenting a text generated entirely by AI as one’s own can be considered plagiarism. Human authorship must be preserved, as it is essential for a student’s intellectual development.

  • Biases and limitations: AI reflects the data it was trained on, which may contain errors or biases. Therefore, it is crucial to critically read and verify the information provided by these tools.

Legal Considerations

  • Copyright: According to the U.S. Copyright Office, works created exclusively by AI cannot be registered because they lack human authorship (U.S. Copyright Office, 2023).

  • Human contribution: The law recognizes copyright protection only if there is significant human creative contribution (Thaler v. Vidal, 2023).

  • Personal practice: Avoid claiming full authorship of material produced solely by AI and always cite sources of information provided to the tool.

Artificial Intelligence can be a powerful ally for new generations, but it must be used responsibly, with ethics and honesty on the part of students. By following these guidelines, I can ensure that technology helps people grow without compromising the integrity of their academic or professional goals.

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