“Why don’t you just ask Chat?” is a phrase we are all familiar with as university students in 2026. For any question, query or qualm you encounter there is a cheerful robot on the other side of your screen waiting to solve it. ChatGPT isn’t just ChatGPT anymore – we have officially progressed to a first-name basis.
The first few weeks of university go hand in hand with an influx of readings, daunting syllabi and back-to-back social engagements. The lifestyle of a student is inherently a busy one, and when the to-do list isn’t getting any shorter, we inevitably seek something to relieve the pressure. Nowadays, this is where artificial intelligence swoops in to save the day. The rapid development of this technology over the last few years has transformed academia and significantly impacted student life. Striking a balance between AI usage and original work is a challenge that students now face every day. So how do students actually use AI, and is it having a negative impact on our experience overall?
Not all instances of ChatGPT usage involve asking it to produce an entire essay – many students do their best to use it consciously and ethically, asking it to complete mundane tasks as a way of saving time. At its best, the technology can act as a tool for writing essay plans, finding secondary sources or doing general research, and lecturers often even encourage us to make use of it.
As is now the norm for academic institutions, Edinburgh has issued guidelines for how students can use AI ethically. The University’s website offers a single page of ‘top-level’ guidelines but places most of the responsibility on the individual to check their own course-specific guidance. Advice on AI usage varies hugely from course to course, which can be confusing for students trying to navigate university and use AI ethically at the same time. The University recommends that students use its own AI model ELM, but many are either unaware it exists or deterred by its restrictions. Speaking to one third year student, she noted that she felt the advice on using AI at university was inadequate, commenting that it was “dangerous” for lecturers to suggest using it without real direction.
As understandable as the desire to reduce stress may be, it can be disheartening to sit in a tutorial and watch the people around you open ChatGPT or Gemini at the drop of a hat. The same third year student noted her surprise at the widespread use of AI when she first arrived in Edinburgh: “I was baffled about how everyone was getting through their readings and balancing first year nightlife, and that’s when I discovered that they were using AI”.
While it is undeniably convenient, the shortcut AI offers can make it all too easy to avoid being challenged academically. The slippery slope from occasional use to total dependence is one that students are becoming wary of as this technology becomes more widespread. “Students are creating a prison of their own making, because they’re raising expectations beyond what is possible. Lecturers are going to expect more and more (the more AI is used), and you won’t be able to give it.” Some refrain from using AI entirely, which at times can seem like an exercise in futility. At this stage, any coursework is likely to be marked alongside work that was generated by, or at least created with the help of, AI.
A couple of weeks ago I received an email informing me that my degree programme, Chinese and Russian Studies, has fallen victim to Edinburgh’s recently announced cuts. Students will be unable to enroll in the programme from now on, and I will be one of the last to graduate with my degree. As a language student in the age of AI this sort of news is becoming all too familiar. Entire subject areas are starting to be viewed as redundant, and for many it is increasingly difficult to feel optimistic about the future of humanities studies.
So, why don’t you just ask Chat? It is abundantly clear that AI is here to stay, and there is nothing inherently wrong with students putting it to use. With that being said, research has shown that over-reliance on generative AI can significantly impact our ability to think critically and produce original academic work. Part of being a student and developing intellectually is being uncomfortable – in order to learn anything at all we have to challenge ourselves, and AI removes the necessity for this. With this in mind, our focus must lie in striking a balance through which we can coexist with AI, providing students with detailed guidance on how to use it effectively where needed, while preserving an academic environment where original work is still valued and held to a high standard.
