Most of my students already use AI. That debate is over. What I notice is that many of them use the free tools poorly, and in the same four ways.
They accept the first response. They stay in the plain chat window when the task calls for more. They never check which model is answering. And they do not iterate, so a rough first draft becomes the final answer.
None of that is a character flaw. Nobody taught them. These apps are designed to feel effortless, and effortless is a bad teacher.
There is also a money problem, and the sociologist in me cannot leave it alone. The strongest models and agents sit behind subscriptions that start around $20 a month. Students who can pay get tools that reason longer, handle bigger files, and carry out multistep tasks. Students who cannot pay get free tiers that do less and err more. Same assignment, different tools. It is a new version of an old story about who gets the good equipment.
Meanwhile, employers in high-demand IT and business fields increasingly expect new hires to hand routine work to AI and then catch its mistakes. That is not cheating. It is becoming the job.
So I treat AI power use as a study skill, like taking notes or citing sources. It has four parts, and the next four posts take one each:
- Choose the model. Know which one is answering, and when a slower, stronger one is worth the wait.
- Delegate only what is permitted. Sort each assignment into what AI may do, what it may assist with, and what you must do alone.
- Evaluate with critical thinking. Ask four questions before you trust any output.
- Iterate, disclose, and explain it back. Improve the draft, say how you used AI, and be able to defend every part.
The goal is a student who can do all four with whatever tool is in front of them, paid or free, this year’s product or next year’s. The products change every few months. The habits last.
Leave a Reply