AI in classrooms: Is artificial intelligence empowering students or weakening independent thinking?

The Confident Child Masterclass: Public Speaking & Storytelling ExcellenceRegister Now TOI Young Leaders: Junior Journalist MasterclassRegister Now TOI Young Leaders: New Age Careers In the Era of AIRegister Now The Confident Child Masterclass: Public Speaking & Storytelling ExcellenceRegister Now TOI Young Leaders: Junior Journalist MasterclassRegister Now TOI Young Leaders: New Age Careers In the Era of AIRegister Now The Confident Child Masterclass: Public Speaking & Storytelling ExcellenceRegister Now NewsEducation NewsNewsAI in classrooms: Is artificial intelligence empowering students or weakening independent thinking?

AI in classrooms: Is artificial intelligence empowering students or weakening independent thinking? As artificial intelligence becomes part of everyday learning, students are increasingly turning to AI tools for explanations, assignments and problem-solving.

Picture this: It is 2016. Summer vacations are here, and you are glued to the television, watching Doraemon. I know, this sentence alone might have sent many of you down the aisle of nostalgia. How fervently we wished that Doraemon could come to our rescue, solving mathematical problems, simplifying complex concepts, writing essays, and providing answers to almost every question we could think of.

Ta-da! Wish granted.Cut to 2026, a decade later, and children actually have access to a technology that comes remarkably close to that futuristic dream. This is no longer a manifestation of a sci-fi novel; it is reality.

For students today, generative AI seems to have placed everything on a silver platter. A difficult topic can be simplified, an assignment structured, and information accessed without having to spend hours pouring over books.But as artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly inseparable part of academic life, educators are confronting a more fundamental question: Is the technology helping students become better learners, or making them increasingly dependent on ready-made answers?

The debate, undoubtedly, is not an easy one. The scale of adoption is evident in the Student Generative AI Survey 2026, published by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI). The survey, conducted among 1,054 full-time undergraduate students in the UK in December 2025, found that 95% had used AI in at least one way, while 94% used generative AI to help with assessed work.<div data-pos="0" class="id-r-component iIpbx undefined The proportion directly including AI-generated text in assessed submissions rose to 12% in 2026, compared with 8% in 2025 and 3% in 2024.

The findings also show that 65% of students believe assessment has changed significantly in response to AI.Yet the survey presents a mixed picture. While 49% said AI had improved their student experience through time savings, better understanding and immediate assistance, concerns around fairness, skill erosion and social isolation also emerged.

Further, 68% considered AI skills essential to thrive today, but only 48% said teaching staff helped them develop the skills needed for future careers.<div data-pos="0" class="id-r-component iIpbx undefined The findings reflect the experiences of UK undergraduates and cannot be treated as a measure of AI use among Indian students.

However, they point to a shift that education systems can no longer ignore. The question is no longer whether students will use AI, but whether they will learn to use it without surrendering independent thought.The debate goes on: Is AI a tool for learning or a shortcut to answers?

Preeti Khatri, CBSE assistant professor and assistant director, believes AI should be viewed as an enabling tool rather than a threat to education. She argues that the technology itself is not inherently harmful; its impact depends on how students use it."Students may be using AI negatively, but that does not make the technology negative.

It is like a knife. You can use it to cut vegetables, or you can misuse it. The responsibility lies in how it is used," she said.Khatri points out that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recognises the growing relevance of artificial intelligence and computational thinking.

In her view, Indian students must be prepared to understand and work with emerging technologies instead of being left behind as their use expands globally.CBSE has introduced a curriculum on Computational Thinking and Artificial Intelligence, supported by a separate textbook and teacher-training resources for the preparatory and middle stages.

Khatri says efforts are also under way to build teachers&#x27; capacity to introduce these concepts in classrooms.However, bringing AI into the curriculum is only one part of the challenge. Students must also learn to assess the information they receive, identify limitations in AI-generated responses, and understand when the technology is appropriate to use.CBSE's approach puts critical thinking and assessment in focus Khatri believes teachers will continue to play an important role, particularly in helping students develop values, ethics, and responsible judgement.

While AI can provide explanations and information, it cannot replace the guidance students receive through classroom interactions.She also believes assessment methods need to evolve. Instead of testing students only on their ability to recall information or reproduce formulas, schools should place greater emphasis on application-based learning.

Open-book assessments, for instance, can require students to apply a concept to a problem rather than simply retrieve an answer.Khatri does not believe that the use of AI necessarily signals the disappearance of critical thinking.

Instead, she argues that the nature of the exercise has changed. Students still need to frame questions, refine prompts and evaluate the responses generated by the technology."Critical thinking is still there. The level has changed," she said.However, this distinction depends on students making an effort to examine what AI produces.

If...