As a data analytics teacher, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend in my students’ work. They’re relying too heavily on AI tools to do their thinking for them, and it’s eroding their critical thinking skills. I’ve seen students struggle with even the simplest concepts, like GROUP BY or ORDER BY in SQL, because they’ve been relying on AI to do the work for them. It’s not just limited to SQL classes, either – I’ve seen students submit papers with perfect grammar, only to realize they’ve been using AI-powered writing tools to do the work for them. The problem is, these tools are only as good as the data they’re trained on, and they can’t replace the nuance and complexity of human thought. As educators, it’s our responsibility to teach students how to think critically and solve problems on their own, rather than relying on AI to do it for them. But it’s a tough balance to strike, because we don’t want to discourage students from using these tools altogether. Instead, we need to find a way to teach them how to use AI as a tool, rather than a crutch. It’s a challenge, but it’s one we need to take seriously if we want to produce students who are equipped to succeed in the real world.
