School can be hard. As a UC Berkeley student, I often succumb to the intense environment and academic pressure that is so stereotypically placed upon us. I overbook myself. I take difficult classes. I attempt to double major and double minor, while I know that is likely impossible. In short, I often stretch myself very thin, all for the sake of overcompensation. And with the alarmingly rapid and intense emergence of AI sites like ChatGPT as of lately, I’ve often been tempted to use it to save some time on my hands. But I can’t help but feel morally wrong whenever I use it. Even if it’s to come up with a grocery list, or assignment ideas, or study guide outlines, I feel ashamed that I’m taking the easy route. Why can’t I seem to skim an article for class myself? Are we reaching a point in which we are becoming too reliant on the use of AI?
So, yes, as a perpetually overcommitted Berkeley student, I completely understand the temptation to rely entirely on AI tools like ChatGPT to help lighten the workload. While relying on AI may be convincing and time-saving on the surface, it’s clear that an over-dependence is likely to occur, which can be detrimental for many reasons. I think the biggest consequence of developing an over-reliance is the fact that I’d be undermining all the personal growth it took to get into UC Berkeley in the first place. By letting an algorithm generate my papers or solve prompts without planning them thoroughly myself, I’d be missing out on those critical thinking skills that will serve me well in the future. Not to mention ChatGPT’s tendency to be inaccurate. Doing all of my own work, even if that means it may be more time-consuming, is worth it in the long run — it is an investment in my own potential.
Beyond just academic integrity concerns, over-reliance on AI poses risks to mental health and ability to cope with unpredicted challenges. By getting quick answers and perfectly crafted passages from ChatGPT whenever possible, I deny myself the opportunity to build resilience, take healthy risks, and gain confidence through overcoming struggles. What will happen when I enter high-pressure workplace environments without AI assistance as a crutch? What happens when I have to take a midterm or a final for a class that I’ve solely ChatGPT-ed my way through? Will I crumble when facing struggles, obstacles, or failures because I stopped developing grit and determination? Have I hurt my ability to tolerate frustration and delay gratification? Have I lost my own voice and my own opinions to those of artificial intelligence?
While AI will keep advancing, and quite scarily at that, situations with human impact require a level of care, wisdom, and accountability that technology simply can’t replicate. This isn’t to say that ChatGPT and other AI sites shouldn’t be used by students at all; I think that AI tools like ChatGPT can be an amazing asset if used correctly and scarcely. It can help augment one’s thinking, cut tedious busy-work, broaden perspectives, all of it. The key is developing the ability to recognize when AI is providing constructive support versus an intellectual crutch. And given that Berkeley students are some of the sharpest out there, I know we can continue to use AI in a responsible manner. We just have to remember that the human mind still reigns supreme for shaping the future that we want to see.