​ChatGPT, released to the internet in November 2022, has created controversy over the past two years. The main concern is how it will change education for students and if it will help them cheat for better scores. However, many students would argue that AI has actually improved their learning experience positively.

When Colt Scofield, a junior at Granite Bay High School, was asked why he started using ChatGPT and how it’s helped him, he said, “I began to use Chat because I started to become overwhelmed by my homework and upcoming tests.” 

Scofield said that ChatGPT made it easier for him to understand his work better, and he was able to use it to help him study for his test.

“I was able to learn and get information from Chat while finishing my work quicker,” Scofield said. “This gave me more time for activities outside of school and my other hobbies.”

Additionally, a recent Stanford study found that 56 percent of students considered homework to be their primary source of stress (Golloway). This just shows us how many kids like Colt have become stressed due to their homework, and only makes things harder down the road. 

When Colt was asked if his workload he was given ever made him stressed or worried, he said, “Oh yeah, definitely. I feel like I have to cram it in, but I also want to understand what I’m doing instead of just trying to complete it.” With the usage of AI, however, he was able to finish his assignments quicker while maintaining his information needed.

Scofield told me that using ChatGPT has helped lower his stress levels. Having instant access to explanations of his questions or instant help with his work definitely made life easier, especially when the due dates are coming up.

“Knowing I can get help right away takes a lot of pressure off,” Scofield said. Now, he can feel more confident taking on hard assignments because he has AI that will help him through it and understand his work.

However, Scofield isn’t the only student who feels this way. Liam Macdonald, a sophomore at GBHS, also shared similar feelings about AI. Macdonald said that using ChatGPT has helped him complete assignments more quickly while still understanding the valuable information. 

When asked about a specific moment when ChatGPT was especially helpful, Macdonald said, “I had a biology assignment that was supposed to take me the whole night. Instead, I used ChatGPT to my advantage and was able to gather a lot of information from it.” He not only was able to finish his assignment much faster than expected, but he also learned more about the topic and saved valuable time in his day.

So far, most students seem to use ChatGPT to their advantage and in a positive way. But when does it become a problem? According to research from 2024, 24% of teens in school have used AI. The one big issue is that not every student will maintain honesty and integrity and use ChatGPT responsibly; some will use it simply just to rush through their homework to go to something else and not learn much. 

Junior Davin Keshavarz pointed out that some students will “rely too heavily on ChatGPT,” which is especially true for those who struggle in school. When I asked him at what point students are just letting ChatGPT do the work for them, Keshavarz said, “Once they start looking at what Chat said and just writing it down, carelessly rushing through the assignment, that’s when they’re abusing it. Once it gets to that point, students won’t be bringing in that valuable information that’s needed for them to understand.”