Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming education while making discovering more accessible but likewise triggering arguments on its impact.

While students hail AI tools like ChatGPT for improving their knowing experience, lecturers are raising issues about the growing dependence on AI, which they argue fosters laziness and weakens academic stability, specifically with many trainees not able to safeguard their tasks or offered works.

Prof. Isaac Nwaogwugwu, a speaker at the University of Lagos, in an interview with Nairametrics, expressed frustration over the growing dependence on AI-generated responses amongst trainees stating a recent experience he had.

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"I gave an assignment to my MBA trainees, and out of over 100 students, about 40% sent the exact very same answers. These students did not even understand each other, but they all used the very same AI tool to produce their actions," he stated.

He noted that this pattern is common amongst both undergraduate and postgraduate trainees however is especially worrying in part-time and distance learning programs.

"AI is a serious difficulty when it comes to assignments. Many students no longer think critically-they just go online, generate responses, and submit," he added.

Surprisingly, some lecturers are also accused of over-relying on AI, setting a cycle where both teachers and trainees turn to AI for convenience rather than intellectual rigor.

This dispute raises vital concerns about the function of AI in academic stability and trainee advancement.

According to a UNESCO report, while ChatGPT reached 100 million regular monthly active users in January 2023, just one country had actually launched policies on generative AI as of July 2023.

Since December 2024, ChatGPT had over 300 million people using the AI chatbot every week and 1 billion messages sent out every day around the world.

Decline of academic rigor

University lecturers are progressively concerned about trainees sending AI-generated projects without truly understanding the material.

Dr. Felix Echekoba, a speaker at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, revealed his issues to Nairametrics about trainees significantly depending on ChatGPT, only to have a hard time with responding to standard questions when tested.

"Many students copy from ChatGPT and submit sleek assignments, however when asked fundamental questions, they go blank. It's frustrating because education is about learning, not just passing courses," he stated.

- Prof. Nwaogwugwu pointed out that the increasing variety of top-notch graduates can not be totally attributed to AI however admitted that even high-performing trainees utilize these tools.


"A top-notch trainee is a top-notch student, AI or not, but that doesn't indicate they do not cheat. The benefits of AI might be peripheral, however it is making students reliant and less analytical," he stated.

- Another speaker, Dr. Ereke, from Ebonyi State University, raised a various concern that some speakers themselves are guilty of the exact same practice.


"It's not simply trainees utilizing AI slackly. Some speakers, out of their own laziness, create lesson notes, course outlines, marking plans, and even exam questions with AI without examining them. Students in turn utilize AI to produce responses. It's a cycle of laziness and it is eliminating real knowing," he lamented.

Students' perspectives on use

Students, code.snapstream.com on the other hand, state AI has actually improved their learning experience by making academic materials more understandable and available.

- Eniola Arowosafe, a 300-level Business Administration trainee at Unilag, shared how AI has considerably aided her learning by breaking down complex terms and supplying summaries of prolonged texts.


"AI helped me understand things more easily, specifically when handling complex subjects," she discussed.

However, she recalled a circumstances when she utilized AI to send her task, just for her lecturer to instantly acknowledge that it was generated by ChatGPT and reject it. Eniola noted that it was a good-bad effect.

- Bryan Okwuba, who just recently finished with a superior degree in Pharmacy Technology from the University of Lagos, securely thinks that his scholastic success wasn't due to any AI tool. He associates his exceptional grades to actively interesting by asking concerns and photorum.eclat-mauve.fr concentrating on areas that lecturers emphasize in class, as they are typically shown in examination questions.


"It's everything about existing, focusing, and tapping into the wealth of understanding shared by my colleagues," he said,

- Tunde Awoshita, photorum.eclat-mauve.fr a final-year marketing student at UNIZIK, confesses to sometimes copying straight from ChatGPT when dealing with numerous due dates.


"To be honest, there are times I copy directly from ChatGPT when I have multiple deadlines, and I understand I'm guilty of that, most times the speakers do not get to go through them, however AI has also assisted me find out quicker."

Balancing AI's function in education

Experts think the solution depends on AI literacy; mentor trainees and lecturers how to use AI as a knowing aid instead of a faster way.

- Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, highlighted the combination of AI into Nigeria's education system, stressing the significance of a balanced approach that preserves human participation while harnessing AI to enhance learning results.


"As we browse the quickly developing landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI), it is essential that we prioritise human firm in education. We should make sure that AI enhances, rather than replaces, educators' essential function in forming young minds," he said

Concerns over AI in Learning

Dorcas Akintade, a cybersecurity change professional, attended to growing issues concerning using expert system (AI) tools such as ChatGPT and their potential risks to the educational system.

- She acknowledged the advantages of AI, nevertheless, highlighted the need for caution in its use.

- Akintade highlighted the increasing hesitance amongst teachers and schools toward including AI tools in learning environments. She recognized two primary reasons AI tools are dissuaded in educational settings: linked.aub.edu.lb security dangers and plagiarism. She discussed that AI tools like ChatGPT are trained to respond based upon user interactions, which may not line up with the expectations of educators.


"It is not looking at it as a tutor," Akintade stated, describing that AI doesn't deal with specific mentor techniques.

Plagiarism is another issue, as AI pulls from existing data, often without proper attribution

"A great deal of individuals need to understand, like I stated, this is data that has actually been trained on. It is not just bringing things out from the sky. It's bringing info that some other people are fed into it, which in essence indicates that is another individual's documents," she warned.

- Additionally, Akintade highlighted an early issue in AI development called "hallucination," where AI tools would create info that was not accurate.


"Hallucination suggested that it was drawing out information from the air. If ChatGPT could not get that information from you, it was going to make one up," she explained.

She advised "grounding" AI by supplying it with particular info to prevent such mistakes.

Navigating AI in Education

Akintade argued that prohibiting AI tools outright is not the option, especially when AI presents an opportunity to leapfrog standard academic methods.

- She believes that regularly strengthening key details helps individuals remember and prevent making mistakes when faced with challenges.


"Immersion brings conversion. When you tell individuals the very same thing over and over again, when they are about to make the errors, then they'll keep in mind."

She also empasized the need for clear policies and treatments within schools, keeping in mind that many schools should attend to individuals and process elements of this usage.

- Prof. Nwaogwugwu has turned to in-class assignments and tests to counter AI-driven scholastic dishonesty.


"Now, I generally utilize projects to guarantee trainees supply initial work." However, he acknowledged that handling large classes makes this approach hard.

"If you set complicated concerns, trainees won't have the ability to use AI to get direct answers," he discussed.

He emphasized the requirement for bphomesteading.com universities to train lecturers on crafting test concerns that AI can not quickly resolve while acknowledging that some speakers battle to counter AI abuse due to a lack of technological awareness. "Some speakers are analogue," he said.

- Nigeria released a draft National AI Strategy in August 2024, concentrating on ethical AI development with fairness, openness, responsibility, and privacy at its core.

- UNESCO in a report calls for the policy of AI in education, advising organizations to examine algorithms, data, and outputs of generative AI tools to ensure they fulfill ethical requirements, safeguard user data, and filter inappropriate material.

- It stresses the requirement to examine the long-lasting effect of AI on important skills like believing and imagination while producing policies that align with ethical structures. Additionally, UNESCO advises carrying out age restrictions for GenAI use to secure younger trainees and secure vulnerable groups.
- For federal governments, it recommended adopting a coordinated nationwide technique to managing GenAI, including establishing oversight bodies and lining up guidelines with existing information security and personal privacy laws. It emphasizes evaluating AI threats, imposing stricter rules for high-risk applications, and guaranteeing nationwide information ownership.