AI is Destroying the University and Learning Itself

Just a few years ago, many people perceived ChatGPT as just the latest tech trend that would quickly fade away. But today, AI has already become an integral part of the education system. At first, teachers were most concerned about cheating and plagiarism. At faculty meetings, questions like “How will we detect plagiarism now?” and “Is this the end of the college essay?” were heard more and more often. It was then that universities began to widely implement AI detectors and plagiarism checker for university, trying to adapt to the new reality.

Eventually, fear gave way to interest in AI tools. California State University entered into a $17 million partnership with OpenAI and launched ChatGPT Edu for students and faculty. The problem is that all of this was happening at the same time as budget cuts, department closures, and program reductions.

Among the main consequences were:

• faculty layoffs;
• department closures;
• automation of parts of the educational process;
• reductions in student services.

As a result, more and more faculty members began asking an uncomfortable question: Does AI truly help education, or is it gradually replacing live instruction with automation?

ChatGPT is changing the very approach to education

Many experts believe that AI has long ceased to be “just another tool in the toolbox.” Philosopher Peter Gershko explained that technology not only simplifies work but also changes the way people think. Theorist Neil Postman called this a “technopoly,” where automation and efficiency become more important than critical thinking.

Today, this is already clearly visible in universities. Students are increasingly being taught not to analyze information, but to correctly formulate prompts for AI systems. Education is becoming faster, but not necessarily deeper.

Students themselves are particularly keenly aware of this. Professor Martha Kenney stated that many “were rightfully skeptical that regular use of generative AI in the classroom would rob them of the education they’re paying so much for.” This is of greatest concern to first-generation students, who view college as a chance to truly change their lives rather than just earn a degree.

Teachers also point out that ChatGPT was not designed as an educational technology. Martha Kenney put it bluntly: “ChatGPT is not an educational technology. It wasn’t made with education in mind.”

As a result, concerns are increasingly being raised about the risks:

• a decline in critical thinking;
• dependence on AI companies;
• the automation of learning;
• the loss of genuine dialogue between students and teachers.

Professor Ali Kashani described the situation even more harshly: “Students are being used as guinea pigs in the AI laboratory.”

New AI colonialism in education

The discussion about AI has long gone beyond cheating or essays. Journalist Karen Hao writes in her book Empire of AI that major AI companies are gradually integrating education into their own corporate systems. She describes how OpenAI simultaneously talks about “human values” while actively expanding its political and business influence.

The criticism isn’t limited to universities. According to Time, OpenAI outsourced moderation work to the company Sama in Kenya, where employees reviewed violent content and hate speech for less than $2 an hour. Researchers also point out the high energy and water costs associated with training large language models.

Against this backdrop, California State University’s partnership with OpenAI has sparked even more controversy. Some faculty members believe that universities are gradually becoming dependent on tech corporations. Professor Jennifer Trainor of San Francisco State University had this to say about the partnership announcement: “It felt surreal.”

AI is already influencing students’ thinking

An MIT study titled “Your Brain on ChatGPT” has drawn particular attention. Participants who regularly used ChatGPT for essays showed reduced neural connectivity in brain regions associated with memory and critical reasoning. Additionally, 83% of active AI users were unable to recall key parts of the texts they had generated using AI.

Author Cal Newport calls this “cognitive debt,” which occurs when a person chooses quick convenience over developing their own thinking. And this is already noticeable in universities. Instructors increasingly note that student essays appear technically correct but are very similar to one another and lack individuality. Such texts sound “fluent, efficient, and empty.”

The main question remains open

Today, the discussion about AI in education is no longer limited to cheating or plagiarism. The main question is much broader: what will remain of a university education if AI writes essays, creates lectures, grades assignments, and helps students pass exams?

Philosopher Troy Jollimore of California State University, Chico, warned about this very directly: “Massive numbers of students are going to emerge from university with degrees, and into the workforce, who are essentially illiterate.”

That is precisely why more and more students, teachers, and parents are beginning to question not only AI, but also what modern education should look like in the first place. For many, university is still associated not with automation, but with mentorship, lively dialogue, and the development of independent thinking.