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Did you know that more than 70 out of 100 kids in U.S. middle and high schools are using AI chatbots for their homework? Yep, even though these bots like ChatGPT can mess up sometimes and their schools say not to use them!
That’s a lot, right?
Tiffany Zhu, an 11th grader from The Harker School in California, noticed her classmates were all about these AI tools. She helped run a survey to dig deeper into this trend.
Teaming up with folks from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, Zhu surveyed 306 students from grades 6 through 12. They wanted to see just how often these students turned to AI chatbots for schoolwork.
The findings? A whopping 71% had used large language models (LLMs) at least once. That’s more than young adults! Surprisingly, 9% confessed to daily use, while around 5% even paid for these AI helpers.
Students tried using LLMs across various subjects like language arts, history, and math. But they had mixed feelings about it. Why? Because sometimes the AI would make stuff up or get answers wrong.
Thomas Lancaster from Imperial College London chimed in, warning about the risks. He said students might lean too much on LLMs without knowing how to use them properly, leading to learning gaps.
Zhu thought there should be teamwork between students, teachers, and AI developers. She believes they need a better understanding of how to use AI effectively since students will likely continue using it regardless of rules.
The researchers wrapped up by suggesting that LLMs need to be more student-friendly. They also urged developers and educators to ensure that students from all backgrounds can benefit equally from advanced educational resources offered by AI.
