Knowing Neurons
Knowing Neurons
Artificial Intelligence

The impact of AI on students

William Mills

By William T Mills IV, PhD

Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, personalized information is now accessible to anyone online. Following the introduction of ChatGPT, other generative AI tools such as Claude, DeepSeek, and Grok have quickly gained popularity. Despite their many benefits, the rapid adoption of generative AI tools by people across all sectors of society has brought significant and often unforeseen consequences. One area in which the consequences of AI use are only now beginning to be recognized is education. A survey conducted by the Digital Education Council found that the vast majority of students use AI in their studies, with nearly a quarter using it daily (Digital Education Council, 2024). Yet more than half of students say they lack sufficient AI knowledge and skills. This gap between use and preparedness may lead to negative consequences when technology is adopted before students learn to use it effectively. Educators are already seeing how the widespread use of AI tools has profoundly impacted student learning. 

ChatGPT use was associated with procrastination, memory loss, and reduced academic performance.

In a report published in the International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, researchers found that the effects of ChatGPT use were already evident among students less than three years after its introduction (Abbas et al., 2024). Students self-reported their motivations for using ChatGPT, their level of reliance on it, and its perceived impacts. Of seven tested hypotheses, five showed significant effects: workload and time pressure drove ChatGPT use, which was associated with procrastination, memory loss, and reduced academic performance. Interestingly, students’ concern for their grades or the quality of their work did not appear to influence ChatGPT use. The study also found indirect links between academic workload, time pressure, and these same outcomes, suggesting a reinforcing cycle between stress and ChatGPT reliance. Although limited to one country and based on self-reports, these findings suggest that ChatGPT may negatively impact student learning and performance.

Alongside these drawbacks, researchers have also documented benefits for students. A systematic review published in Education Sciences examined studies on ChatGPT in education that were published between January and October 2023 (Ali et al., 2024). The review identified 45 studies showing ChatGPT’s ability to improve accessibility and learning engagement, particularly for students with disabilities, and 31 studies reporting benefits for language learning and conversational skills. It also highlighted other advantages, such as helping students overcome writer’s block, assisting teachers in developing lesson plans, and supporting diverse academic subjects and educational settings.

The meta-analysis reported a “large positive impact” on learning performance.

Although differences in usage, grade levels, and measurement methods complicate analysis, researchers have still attempted to measure the overall impact of ChatGPT on students. A recent meta-analysis published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications reviewed 51 studies published between November 2022 and February 2025 (Wang & Fan, 2025). These studies covered students at different grade levels (primary, secondary, and college), across diverse subjects (language learning, writing, and STEM), and with different roles for ChatGPT (such as tutor or learning tool). The meta-analysis reported a “large positive impact” on learning performance and a “moderately positive impact” on learning perception and higher-order thinking. It also offered several recommendations for using ChatGPT in education:

  • Apply educational frameworks (e.g., Bloom’s taxonomy)
  • Use ChatGPT across grade levels and courses
  • Integrate ChatGPT into problem-based learning
  • Extend ChatGPT use to evaluate long-term effects
  • Diversify ChatGPT’s roles (e.g., tutor, learning tool)

When used appropriately – with proper training and by following the recommendations above – ChatGPT and other AI tools have the potential to significantly improve education. In a Brain-X perspective, the authors outlined several potential applications of ChatGPT in educational settings (Bai, Liu, & Su, 2023):

  • Provide customized tutoring to meet students’ specific needs
  • Free up mental energy for higher-order tasks
  • Facilitate language learning through conversational translation
  • Create opportunities for students to reflect on AI’s uses and limitations, fostering awareness of their own thinking
  • Cultivate lifelong learning as students adapt to evolving AI models
  • Improve AI models by generating user feedback for developers

Overall, across dozens of studies, ChatGPT shows clear benefits for students. However, its use in education still requires caution and thoughtful implementation. Allowing unrestricted use without guidance could harm student learning and development, much like giving a child a smartphone and internet access without training or guardrails. Educators must carefully plan how AI fits into their classrooms and ensure students understand both its potential and its limits. 

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Written by William Mills
Illustrated by Maria Vogel
Edited by Jade Fachin, Faustina Jayaprakash, and Justin McMahon

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References

Abbas, M., Jam, F.A. & Khan, T.I. (2024). Is it harmful or helpful? Examining the causes and consequences of generative AI usage among university students. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21(10). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-024-00444-7

Ali, D., Fatemi, Y., Boskabadi, E., Nikfar, M., Ugwuoke, J., & Ali, H. (2024). ChatGPT in Teaching and Learning: A Systematic Review. Education Sciences, 14(6), 643. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14060643

Bai L, Liu X, & Su J. (2023). ChatGPT: the cognitive effects on learning and memory. Brain-X, 1:e30. https://doi.org/10.1002/brx2.30

AI or Not AI: What Students Want (Digital Education Council Global AI Student Survey 2024). Digital Education Council. https://www.digitaleducationcouncil.com/post/digital-education-council-global-ai-student-survey-2024

Wang, J., & Fan, W. (2025). The effect of ChatGPT on students’ learning performance, learning perception, and higher-order thinking: insights from a meta-analysis. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12(621). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04787-y

Author

  • William is an assistant professor of biology at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland (USA) where he teaches courses in biology, chemistry, and bioinformatics. He received his bachelor's degree in biochemistry at the University of Virginia and a PhD in Biological Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine where he studied the role of microRNAs in the mammalian central nervous system. William also has previously served as the Secretary and President of the D.C. Metro Area Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience where he helped build a community of neuroscientists in and around Washington, D.C.

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William Mills

William is an assistant professor of biology at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland (USA) where he teaches courses in biology, chemistry, and bioinformatics. He received his bachelor's degree in biochemistry at the University of Virginia and a PhD in Biological Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine where he studied the role of microRNAs in the mammalian central nervous system. William also has previously served as the Secretary and President of the D.C. Metro Area Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience where he helped build a community of neuroscientists in and around Washington, D.C.