Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool that can support learning, but it also comes with risks. As AI becomes more integrated into education, parents must be aware of potential pitfalls, from overreliance on AI-generated content to academic dishonesty. This blog explores the key concerns surrounding AI use in education and how parents can help their children navigate them responsibly.
Overreliance on AI
When students overuse AI, they miss key learning opportunities and fail to develop essential problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. While AI can assist with some areas, students must engage actively with their work to grow academically.
Signs of Overreliance:
- Sudden change in writing fluency or vocabulary beyond the student’s usual level.
- Students skip key stages of learning, such as planning and revising.
- A decline in independent problem-solving and creativity.
Blind Trust in AI Responses
AI doesn’t understand or think like humans – it predicts responses based on patterns in its training data. This can lead to incorrect historical facts, biased perspectives, or false citations in student work.
Risks of Blind Trust:
- AI-generated sources that don’t exist.
- Incorrect or biased information presented as fact.
- Lack of personal engagement with the subject matter.
Academic Dishonesty
Some students may be tempted to use AI to complete assignments without contributing their own effort. This can range from having AI rewrite a paragraph to submitting full essays generated by AI. Parents and teachers should explain why originality matters.
Risks:
- Loss of the chance to build essential writing and analytical skills.
- Risk of submitting work that isn’t their own, leading to plagiarism issues.
- Inability to think critically and develop unique insights.
Key Conversations to Have with Your Child
Parents should have open discussions about responsible AI use to ensure children develop good learning habits.
- The Difference Between Help and Cheating – Using AI for suggestions for how to improve is OK, but submitting AI-generated essays is dishonest.
- Consequences of Misuse – Discuss the long-term impact of relying on AI instead of developing one’s own skills.
- Personal Effort Matters – Emphasize that teachers value originality and effort over polished but unoriginal work.
How We Detect and Approach AI Misuse in Writing
Teachers recognize AI misuse by noticing sudden changes in fluency, tone, or vocabulary. Tools like ZeroGPT can help us to be more confident. We hold open discussions with students about originality, the learning process, and learning integrity.
Encouraging Critical Thinking in the Age of AI
At Little Mountain, we focus on helping students develop independent thought and analytical skills. Parents can reinforce these values at home by:
- Encouraging students to connect themes from novels to their own experiences (self-to-novel connections).
- Teaching students to analyze ‘what makes good writing’ by deconstructing strong examples.
- Supporting in-class writing sessions where teachers guide work through questioning and discussion.
- Assigning personal reflection activities that require unique, AI-proof responses.
Key Takeaways for Parents
- AI should support, not replace, student learning.
- Encourage fact-checking and critical thinking when using AI tools.
- Discuss academic integrity and the importance of originality.
- Stay actively involved in your child’s learning—review their work, discuss AI use, and encourage responsible engagement with technology.
By understanding these risks, parents can help ensure that AI remains a valuable learning tool rather than a shortcut to avoid thinking.