How AI Is Changing Student Lives

March 3, 2026

By: Olivia Covey

AI is quickly growing and evolving in many shapes, ways, and forms. One example is AI’s effects on our education system. AI is used by many students for things such as homework, essays, and assignments. However, there are many debates on the ethics and reliability of using AI for education.

AI can be a great tool when it comes to studying. It is able to make useful studying materials such as flashcards and practice tests. In fact, some have even used it for tutoring. For example, Gauth is an AI tutoring system where users are able to either type or upload a picture of a question or concept. The software is then able to bring an explanation tailored to the question. Gauth has reached 50 million installs on Android alone and is a top-ranking educational tool. AI systems and softwares such as these have been able to adapt to students’ needs. Personalized feedback helps students focus on concepts they struggle with, instead of one-size-fits-all lessons.

However, AI is not exclusive to students. SchoolAI is an AI-powered platform for educators to create safe, personalized learning experiences. This helps teachers generate lesson plans, quizzes, and activities all while giving students interactive AI tutors (called “Spaces”) to explore subjects or concepts at their own pace, all while keeping teachers in control and informed through dashboards that monitor interactions and flag student needs. AI has also proven to be helpful with student engagement in classrooms. Studies from SchoolAI have shown that AI-powered learning generates up to 10 times more engagement than a traditional classroom. Platforms often include a points-based reward system and practice reminders that help maintain involvement. While there are ways AI is useful, AI isn’t 100% ethical or reliable. For example, some students copy directly from AI, which is a complete misuse of these platforms. This was actually the main reason for the creation of “AI checking” softwares, which are designed to detect AI language in an individual’s writing. However, there are still students that completely ignore the existence of these softwares. In fact, a good chunk of students still get away with plagiarising off of AI. Teachers advise against this because not only is the process unethical, it is also unreliable and it fosters AI dependence. 

Teachers from our school, BASIS Shavano, have discussed how they have to eliminate all computers from the classroom in order to avoid AI and provoke original thinking. Eighth grade English teacher, Ms. Dauphin suggests that AI is good for pacing lessons but not making them. Another teacher, Ms. Sauceda, says that in her Art classes, “AI makes my job harder in the sense that it provokes students to stop relying on their own intellectual property.” AI is able to make up information, such as quotes, citations, and more all while seeming confident and trustworthy. This is commonly known as “hallucinating facts.”

Ultimately, AI can be used beneficially, but it’s just not 100% there yet. AI has been growing and will continue to do so, but society needs to learn how to use it as a tool rather than a replacement for human thought. The key takeaway is that AI works best as a supportive learning aid rather than a replacement for human thinking. Its benefits are strongest when used thoughtfully.