Programmed To Cheat

With the increase of AI use in schools, there seems to be a growing separation with students learning versus students passing. 

Now, this has manifested in ways that show students having an “unwillingness” to learn as the use of AI becomes more accessible. But rather than this being an “unwillingness” to learn from students, it might just be a consequence of a system that has had immense amounts of historical corruption: the US education system.

From a very early age, most students in the US grow up under the impression that grades are more important than actual knowledge. Although this was never explicitly stated in my academic experience, we see this imposition become prominent especially when it comes to practices like standardized testing. 

Policy, such as the ‘No Child Left Behind Act’ of 2001, perpetuates the idea that grades outweigh the retainment of knowledge. The goal of this act was to “hold educators accountable for narrowing the achievement gap between BIPOC students and the general population of K-12 students,” according to The Register Guard. But because this act tied test scores to federal funding, more damage was caused rather than bridging any academic gaps. Though NCLB is no longer in effect due to President Obama’s efforts to expand what qualifies schools for federal funding, policy like NCLB set the precedent for the early years of Generation Z’s education and what we were taught to prioritize. 

So, when we look at the current obstacles being faced in education, like the over and unnecessary use of AI, we can conclude that this “unwillingness” to learn is truly a product of the system. We have reinforced the idea, time and time again, that school is associated more with passing your classes rather than gaining any substantial knowledge — a sad fact, but a very true one. 

Nowadays, we are seeing an influx of new teachers that do want to prioritize the privilege of knowledge. But new teachers can’t do much when their students are lacking basic skills due to the overuse of AI — especially when national literacy levels are on a decline. 

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, in 2024, only 67% of eighth graders met basic reading level skills — a significant drop compared to previous years, and overall the lowest level of literacy in three decades. And in general, 40% of students nationwide cannot read at a basic level. 

When considering these statistics and the systems that were constructed to benefit funding over knowledge, it’s difficult to place the blame of AI usage on students and their lack of desire for learning. 

So, you can say that Gen Z is filled with lazy, entitled, tech-addicted cheaters all day long, but it’s no secret that people are products of their environment. You can’t expect students to prioritize knowledge given to them through the system when they’ve never been prioritized by the system themselves.

• AI
• college
• education
• mental health
• school