"Turning to AI at the First Sign of Difficulty"... MIT Warns of 'Cognitive Surrender' on College Campuses

MIT Committee: "Students Are Forsaking Independent Thought for AI"

Dartmouth and Harvard: "AI Education Is Essential"

New York City Halts Generative AI for Students Up to 8th Grade for One Year

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has issued a warning that students relying on artificial intelligence (AI) are falling into a state of "cognitive surrender," in which they are forgoing independent thinking.

A photo of an American Harvard University student wearing a graduation cap to aid understanding of the article. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News Agency

According to The New York Times (NYT) on September 15 (local time), the AI Review Committee at MIT stated in a report released last month that “AI has brought about significant changes to campus culture,” noting, “Students are skipping office hours with professors, and no longer gathering to study together, becoming increasingly isolated.” The committee warned that “for students who turn to AI at the first sign of difficulty, chatbot answers can create an ‘illusion of learning.’”

In a study released by MIT last year, those who used AI chatbots as writing assistants often could not properly recall the contents of their own essays just minutes after completing them. Natalya Kosmina, an MIT researcher involved in the study, explained, “They essentially did not use the memory networks that help with retention at all.”

Dartmouth, Harvard Presidents: "Without AI, You Can’t Be at the Forefront"

Nonetheless, major universities are strengthening education on the use of AI. Sian Beilock, president of Dartmouth College, remarked, “If a university cannot produce graduates who can use AI productively in this era defined by AI, it will become outdated and lose its purpose.” Alan Garber, president of Harvard University, stated, “AI-driven research can accelerate the pace of knowledge development to a degree never before seen in human history,” adding, “In many fields, it will be difficult to be at the forefront without utilizing AI.”

The number of universities integrating AI into their curricula is also increasing. At Ohio State University, every department—from business and engineering to English literature and veterinary medicine—has been instructed to teach when and how AI technologies should and should not be applied within their fields. The goal is for all students to become proficient in AI within their majors before graduation. Wendy Hensel, president of the University of Hawai'i, who presented an AI strategy to the university’s board of trustees last July, emphasized, “We must engage actively with AI, but do so thoughtfully, ethically, and with the right questions in mind,” adding, “The answer to AI cannot simply be ‘No.’”

University of Chicago and Berkeley Law School Put the Brakes on AI Use

Generative AI Chatbot ChatGPT. EPA Yonhap News Agency

Conversely, some universities have drawn clearer boundaries on AI use. The University of Chicago has banned AI from use in certain required social science courses, and its law school prohibits the use of cell phones, tablets, and laptops in first-year classes. At the University of California, Berkeley Law School, students are not allowed to use AI to brainstorm, outline, draft, revise, or edit assignments that count toward their grades. Cornell University revised its disciplinary procedures to correct AI-related academic misconduct without leaving a mark on student records. Students caught in minor cases of misuse can simply acknowledge responsibility and complete workshops and reflection assignments.

Restrictions are even stricter in primary and secondary education. On September 2, New York City—the largest school district in the United States—announced it would suspend the use of generative AI for students from kindergarten through eighth grade for one year. This ban affects about 600,000 students, roughly two-thirds of the entire student body. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Khammar Samuels decided to disable or turn off the AI functionality of previously approved programs. The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest in the U.S., has essentially banned chatbot use among students at all grade levels.

The NYT pointed out, “AI policies vary from university to university, and many leave specific guidelines to individual professors, creating confusion among both students and faculty as to what is permitted and what constitutes academic misconduct.” Anita Sarma, an Oregon State University professor who has researched AI's impact on students’ cognitive abilities, compared AI education to sex education, saying, “Students will use AI anyway. The question is how to teach responsible use.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.