Balancing AI and Education: What My Professor Had to Say

Thank you to Katya King for her incredible contributions to Lorignite during her internship. Excited to share the blog she worked on as she completed her spring semester.

AI is Changing the way we learn

Artificial intelligence is changing the way we learn, and not everyone’s thrilled about it. For my final blog of the semester, I sat down with Professor Joseph Wohkittel, who taught my Data-Driven Business Decisions class. He’s one of the few professors I’ve had who not only allows AI use in class but teaches us how to use it well. Our conversation touched on the promise, the pushback, and the very human questions AI raises in the classroom.

AI and college students learning side by side in a high-tech classroom

The AI Education Revolution: Is It a Help or a Hindrance?

Professor Joe referred to the AI revolution as a paradigm shift in humanity and how AI could “fundamentally change the nature of work” in the coming years. I completely agree with this because, for me, it has completely changed how I learn as a student. AI is constantly a part of my learning, from using it on assignments all the way to final exam prep. Despite not being an early adopter of technology, he recognizes that AI has the potential to be very useful, especially in areas where there is one clear answer like math.

We also discussed that using AI effectively takes more than just typing in a single prompt. “It takes critical thinking skills if things don’t come together the way you expect.” I personally like to think of AI as something you have to work with and constantly question. You are actually teaching it too, and communication is so important. You must tell it if it is wrong so you can eventually get to the outcome you are looking for.

Professor Joseph Wohkittel

Student Resistance: Why Some Learners Reject AI Tools

To my surprise, Joe has faced a lot more resistance than he expected when he introduced AI into the classroom. Many students still expect straightforward, textbook-like answers, which AI doesn’t always provide

What AI gives back is going to be a different answer every time, responses will vary based on past interactions and data history. To manage expectations, Professor Joe is clear right away to students about its capabilities: “It is a process, not an outcome,” and that they’ll need to roll with the variability.

Should You Say ‘Thank You’ to AI? The Politeness Dilemma

As AI tools become more conversational, some users find themselves treating them like humans by doing things like saying please and thank you. Professor Joe, however, takes a different approach. “I don’t think of it as a human. I don’t think of it as being alive,” he said. I completely agree with this statement, yet I still find myself being polite to AI, maybe it's just a habit, or maybe I want AI to spare me if it turns on humanity.

To him, AI is nothing more than a “search engine on steroids,” and he doesn’t feel the need to express politeness to a tool that isn’t capable of feeling, completely valid. But he does acknowledge that AI can bring comfort and meaning to people who are isolated, potentially filling gaps in social interaction that some may be missing. This is something that troubled both of us, as people who understand the importance of social interaction.

Human Connection vs. AI Advice: Why Real Conversations Matter

We ended our conversation by discussing the concerns about people turning to AI for advice instead of engaging in real conversations. As the creator of my custom GPT, Katya’s Konscience, I find myself asking ChatGPT for advice quite often, but I also understand there are times when you must talk to a real person. “You start to lose track of the nature of thought,” he said, cautioning that AI can create false hopes since it tends to tell you what it thinks you want to hear.

While AI can be a valuable tool, it’s not a substitute for human interaction. Real conversations involve pushback, diverse perspectives, and even disagreement, all things AI isn’t currently equipped to offer us.

Katya's Conscience Custom GPT

The Bottom Line: A Warning for Students

In the end, Professor Joe’s perspective on AI in education is clear: Use it, but don’t abuse it. People have always cheated; we all know that, but AI has made it easier to skirt actual learning. Our job as college students and future business leaders is to understand what’s going on, be able to explain it, and add value to it. We’ll be the most employable if we’re able to adapt to these changes.

AI may be changing the landscape of education, but Professor Joe and I agree that nothing can replace real understanding and critical thinking. Students who rely too heavily on AI without grasping the concepts might find the future less promising than they expect.

In a world full of smart machines, being a thoughtful human might just be your best advantage.

Would welcome your feedback on this. Please share in the comments.