When an AI Tutor Feels Too Smart
By: Lila M., (Age 15, New York, NY)
The first time I used an AI tutor for homework help, I was amazed. It could explain algebra problems, summarize history readings, and even suggest better transitions for my English essays. Within seconds, I had the answer to almost any question I asked. At first, it felt like magic. Then it started to feel a little too easy.
For my research project, I decided to study how students use AI tools for learning and whether those tools actually help us understand more or just finish faster. I surveyed classmates and asked them to reflect on how they felt after using AI to complete assignments. Almost everyone said the same thing: the results looked good, but they remembered less of what they learned.
When I started to test the AI tutor myself, I noticed something strange. The more I used it, the less curious I felt. It gave me perfect answers, but I stopped asking deeper questions. If I asked for an essay outline, it gave me one that was technically correct but emotionally flat. If I asked for help solving a math problem, it showed the steps, but I couldn’t explain why those steps worked.
My mentor helped me design a small experiment. I gave two groups of students the same history prompt. One group used an AI assistant, and the other worked without it. The AI group wrote longer essays and used more complex vocabulary, but when I asked them to explain their arguments a week later, most couldn’t remember what they had written. The group that wrote without AI remembered more of their ideas and felt prouder of their work.
That finding made me rethink what it means to learn. AI can make things faster, but sometimes learning needs to be slow. It needs to be messy, confusing, and full of trial and error. When everything comes too easily, it is harder to appreciate what you know.
I still use AI tools, but now I use them differently. I ask the AI to quiz me instead of writing for me. I ask it to show different perspectives instead of single answers. I treat it like a study partner, not a shortcut.
“It did not just give me answers. It made me wonder if knowing everything means understanding nothing.”
This project helped me realize that technology is not just changing how we learn, it is changing how we think about thinking. AI can be a great teacher, but only if we remember to stay the student.