Artificial intelligence has become a common tool for college students, offering new ways to conduct research, develop ideas and complete assignments. But as its use spreads across college campuses, educators are questioning whether AI is an asset to student learning or a detriment to academic success. From cell phones and social media to television, AI is increasingly shaping how people communicate, access information and consume media. Although advancements in AI have been remarkable, questions remain about how the technology is affecting society, particularly in higher education. At Northern Essex Community College, individual instructors establish their own guidelines for AI use, which may be outlined in course syllabi for both online and in-person classes. These varying guidelines can blur the line between using AI as an academic aid and using it in ways that may constitute plagiarism. As colleges continue to navigate the growing presence of AI, an important question remains: Is the technology helping higher education evolve, or is it undermining academic integrity and detracting from the student learning experience?
June DiCicco, a Northern Essex Community College alumna, said she frequently relied on AI while completing her schoolwork. Although she initially used ChatGPT as an academic aid, she found herself becoming increasingly dependent on the technology. “When I was in school, I used ChatGPT, like, 80% of the time. I didn’t use it to, like, do my work for me, but I used it to help and found that it was hard after a while to get things done without it,” DiCicco said. Her experience raises a broader question: Even when used as a guide, can AI tools such as ChatGPT hinder college students’ ability to think critically and complete work on their own and originally? College campuses such as Northern Essex offer resources, including libraries and tutoring centers, to help students with their courses. However, the convenience of AI tools, which can provide information and assistance within seconds, may make them an appealing alternative to traditional academic tools. When asked whether she would be more likely to seek information from a library book or a student adviser, DiCicco expressed a clear preference for AI. “No way, why would I bother doing that when I could just, like, type in a question and have it answered for me?” she said.
Although AI policies vary by course and instructor, not all classes prohibit the use of the technology. While some instructors strictly discourage its use, others incorporate AI into their curriculum or require it for certain assignments.
Former student Emily Brouder said AI was a required tool for some of her coursework. “When I was taking classes a couple of years ago, it was a requirement to use it for certain assignments,” Brouder said. When AI is incorporated into courses, instructors may establish guidelines for how students should use and acknowledge it.
However, its growing role in higher education raises more questions about academic credibility.
When students use AI to help with ideas, develop arguments or outline written assignments, how much of that work should be credited to the technology? Where is the line between using AI as aresource and submitting work that does not fully reflect a student’s own thinking? Brouder said that, “Eventually I got that they were trying to teach us to use it as another tool to study. But I learned pretty quick that it wasn’t always right.” Although AI can be a valuable study tool, it does not always provide information that is accurate. Students who rely on its responses without verifying may submit inaccurate information if they don’t put in the work of fact checking from books or other traditional learning resources. While some students recognize the potential drawbacks of AI, others view it as a critical academic resource. Allen Janelle, a first-year student in Northeastern University’s master’s program, believes AI offers students access to a wide range of academic support that’s hard to resist.
“It’s like having your own librarian, professor and tutor all in one. I think it’s naïve to think that students are going to pass up the opportunity to use it when it’s right there. For students that are using it to assist and not to do their work, I think it’s pretty invaluable,” Janelle said.
AI offers a type of instant gratification when it comes to schoolwork that doesn’t come from actively seeking out information in libraries or doing the research independently online. While students are still responsible for submitting their own, original work they have an advantage that students who pursued higher education before the invention of AI, did not. It leaves much to be desired about whether current students in the world of higher education are earning their degrees as fairly as their predecessors. As AI becomes more common in higher education, educators face questions aboutwhether students are retaining the information they learn or becoming overly reliant on technology to complete assignments.
Janelle said he doubts that most students use AI solely as a tool to assist with their assignments. “I doubt that the majority of students who are using AI are actually using it just to help with assignments. I think most of them are probably using it to complete assignments and slap their names on it and submit it as their own,” Janelle said. His concerns highlight another aspect of the debate surrounding AI in higher education: academic integrity and the challenges instructors face in evaluating student work.
Northern Essex Community College enrolls thousands of students across its online and in-person programs, while larger universities, such as Northeastern University where Janelle attends, can serve tens of thousands. Although software designed to detect AI- generated content is available, identifying its use in student assignments can be challenging.
Determining whether submitted work reflects a student’s own understanding may place additional demands on instructors. Colleges are faced with the growing popularity of AI in their communities and both the benefits and drawbacks that it creates for its students and faculty.