By Dr. Abdulrahman Kerim, AI Tutor on Superprof.
There’s no denying that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an essential element of our daily lives. AI-based tools such as chatbots and automated essay generators are becoming increasingly popular among learners, from primary school students all the way through to postdoctoral researchers. These tools are capable of explaining and even simplifying complex concepts, summarising long chapters, and generating answers within seconds!
While AI can sometimes be a useful study aid, overreliance on it can seriously damage a student’s learning, confidence, and impact exam performance. GCSEs and A-levels are designed to test a student’s own understanding, analytical skills, critical thinking, memory, and ability to work independently under pressuring exam conditions. Using AI as a “shortcut” rather than a learning support tool can weaken these essential skills and fundamentally undermine the reason and integrity of these exams.
Loss of Critical Thinking
The overuse of AI can weaken learning because it reduces the need for learners to actively think, struggle, and solve problems on their own, all processes that are essential for building memory and deep understanding. When AI provides instant answers, students engage less independent thinking, which can lead to weaker information retention and declining critical thinking skills. Furthermore, it can also significantly hinder skill development in subjects like English, History, and Sociology, where students must learn to construct arguments, analyse ideas, and develop their own writing style. Thus, relying heavily on AI-generated content may create the illusion of understanding, but it does not build the ability to reproduce these essential skills in real exam conditions and, ultimately, in real world situations.
AI Creates False Confidence
AI can make students feel more prepared than they really are. Reading a fully formed, AI-generated answer may create the illusion of understanding. However, real exams require students to recall information from memory, structure arguments quickly, and write under pressure without assistance. Unfortunately, many students only realise the gap in their understanding when sitting in the actual exam hall when it is too late!
AI Hallucinations and Errors
Many students do not realise that state of the art AI systems are far from perfect. They frequently generate incorrect or misleading information while sounding extremely confident. AI can invent or make up fake quotes or citations, incorrect formulas, historical inaccuracies, non-existent case studies, or misleading scientific explanations. Hence, a student who memorises or relies on incorrect information may lose marks in exams without realising that the source was unreliable.
AI Generic Responses
Examiners usually reward precise terminology and jargon, subject-specific vocabulary, and detailed analysis. AI-generated answers are often too general and may miss the exact wording or niche points required by marking schemes. As a result, students who depend heavily on AI may produce answers that sound impressive but fail to gain any marks, which are needed for passing!
While AI can be a very useful supplementary tool, overreliance on it can significantly damage the core purpose of education and examinations. It reduces opportunities for active thinking and skill development, creates a misleading sense of preparedness, and exposes students to inaccurate or hallucinated information. In addition, AI-generated content often lacks the precision and subject-specific detail required by exam mark schemes. Consequently, excessive dependence on AI risks weakening students’ independent understanding and performance in real exam conditions, where genuine knowledge, critical thinking, and the ability to respond under pressure remain essential.
About the expert
Dr. Abdulrahman Kerim is an AI Tutor on Superprof. He holds a PhD in Computer Science and has extensive experience in machine learning, AI, and computer vision. Over the past five years, he has worked on cutting-edge research projects, published multiple papers, and taught at three UK universities, guiding students in computer science and AI. He has taught over 70 hours on Superprof, helping learners at various levels – from beginners to advanced – build confidence and competence in machine learning.
