Contents
- Article #1: How Smart People Get Dumber with AI (+What to Do About It)
- Article #2: Using AI Right Now: A Quick Guide
- Article #3: Sal Khan wants to give every student on Earth a personal AI tutor
- Article #4: 22 Thoughts on Using AI to Learn Better
- Article #5: 5 Ways Students Use ChatGPT to Study and Learn
- AI Articles for Students: Building Minds, Not Shortcuts
AI is undermining your teaching. Every cognitive shortcut your students take with AI weakens the critical thinking muscles you're trying to bulk up. Teach them to use AI better, or it'll become their cognitive crutch.
The right AI articles for students could be the difference between cognitive atrophy and supercharged learning.
Your students should absolutely be using artificial intelligence (AI) to learn. But many treat it like a magic answer machine, not a thinking partner.
And that's a BIG mistake.
Here's where we stand:
- Widespread Usage - 44% of children actively use generative AI tools, with 54% applying them directly to homework and assignments
- Application is broad - Students are applying AI to everything from research (53%) to creative brainstorming (51%)
- They See the Danger - 33% of students already worry they're becoming too dependent on AI tools
- Their Fear is Justified - AI tools have been shown to reduce NECESSARY cognitive effort by 32%
Your students already have the AI horsepower, and they're building the AI skills. But without a clear strategy, they're freewheeling towards disaster.
You need to point them in the right direction.
Want to guide your students toward AI that builds them up instead of tears them down? These 5 AI articles for students draw a map from AI-dependency to AI-driven learning.
Article #1: How Smart People Get Dumber with AI (+What to Do About It)
Author: Carla Dewing
AI makes skipping thinking feel productive.
A major pitfall for students leaning on AI is that THEY feel accomplished when IT solves their problems. Pushing them towards a habit of satisfying shortcuts that undermines their thinking.
Carla Dewing - AI strategist at Crossover - breaks down exactly how 'instant answers' are the enemy of deep learning. And how metacognition (thinking about your thinking) is THE solution that keeps your students mentally sharp, WHILE reaping those sweet, sweet AI rewards.
The core message: Use AI as your spotter, NOT your substitute.
Why it’s on our list:
- Kills the productivity lie - Your students discover why fast answers make slow thinkers
- Makes thinking visible - They learn to catch themselves outsourcing vs. exercising
- Gives them the system - Three simple steps that turn AI into brain training
Article #2: Using AI Right Now: A Quick Guide
Author: Ethan Mollick
Most students treat all LLMs like the same tool... they're NOT.
Your students waste hours bouncing between ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini without knowing WHY they're switching or WHAT each one actually does best.
In this article, Ethan Mollick - Wharton Professor and author of Co-Intelligence - cuts through the AI confusion with a strategic approach to large language models. He shows students which models work for what, when premium features matter (and don't), and how to build workflows that actually deliver.
The core message: AI competence isn't a vibes game. It's strategy.
Why it’s on our list:
- Ends tool-hopping - Students learn which AI tools to focus on for their needs
- Premium disclosure - Explains the when and why of paid AI features
- From demo to doing - Concrete next-hour actions that turn AI from toy to tool
Article #3: Sal Khan wants to give every student on Earth a personal AI tutor
Author: Kristin Houser
Most AI tutors hand out answers. Great AI tutors build thinking.
Your students treat AI like Google with a personality - ask it anything, get an instant answer, move on. They're completely missing the biggest learning opportunity possibly ever.
In this article, Kristin Houser explores Khan Academy founder Sal Khan's vision of personalized tutors for everyone. Tutors that never get tired, never judge, and always know exactly which question a student needs to unlock their own breakthrough.
The core message: Every student deserves a personal tutor that builds their mind, not bypasses it.
Why it’s on our list:
- Reframes AI tutoring - Students learn that AI's job isn't giving answers, it's unlocking THEIR thinking
- Builds independence - Shows how Socratic questioning enables deeper learning
- Supports the teacher - Demonstrates how AI tutors free up educators for human work
Article #4: 22 Thoughts on Using AI to Learn Better
Author: Scott H. Young
Learning has necessary struggle and unnecessary friction. AI should eliminate friction, NOT struggle.
Your students think AI is supposed to make learning easier. They're half right and half wrong.
The gap between those halves determines whether they get smarter or lazier.
AI should remove the frustrating barriers that block learning - hunting for resources, delayed feedback. But it shouldn't replace the mental effort that builds deep understanding.
In this article, Scott H. Young - bestselling author of Ultralearning - breaks down which parts of learning AI should handle, and which parts HAVE TO stay with the student.
The core message: The struggle in understanding complex concepts makes you stronger. The struggle to find good information just wastes time.
Why it’s on our list:
- Draws the crucial line - Students learn to distinguish between productive mental effort and pointless friction
- Protects real learning - Shows how to use AI for summaries, examples, and feedback without outsourcing critical thinking
- Builds learning judgment - Teaches when to lean on AI and when to push through challenge
Article #5: 5 Ways Students Use ChatGPT to Study and Learn
Author: OpenAI
Active learning beats passive consumption.
This is the 'do it tonight' article.
Your students have the strategy and understand the psychology. Now they need the prompts they can copy, paste, and deploy TODAY.
OpenAI reveals five battle-tested workflows that turn ChatGPT from a homework helper into a dynamic learning experience. Bringing static notes to life, and adapting study sessions to match energy levels.
The core message: Here are the prompts. Now start building.
Why it's on our list:
- Tonight's homework - Five workflows that turn students into AI-powered learners TODAY
- Copy-paste ready - Copy-paste prompts from OpenAI's first ChatGPT Lab cohort
AI Articles for Students: Building Minds, Not Shortcuts
Your students know AI matters.
Over 70% of teachers and nearly two-thirds of students agree that AI will be critical for success in the real world. But despite what they know to be true, MOST use AI as nothing more than a shortcut.
The awareness is there. But the strategy isn't.
You NEED to put them on the right path.
Your students need a path toward AI that makes them smarter, not lazier. These 5 AI articles for students are that path. Share them, amplify them, and help your students build a personal learning environment that gets them future-ready.
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