The kids who used AI and studied for a similar amount of time as the non-AI high performers apparently had similar (slightly higher) performance. The kids who used AI and did poorly used the AI to do the homework for them (this is what the article says).

I believe AI is basically an amplifier of bad and good. I’m cynical about the world and assume it will be used more for bad than good, but I don’t doubt some of the best people in every field will be using AI to amplify their work in good ways.

Moneyshot: "The results are eye-opening. After six months, pupils using ai saw their average homework score rise by 18% across all subjects. The time they took to complete each assignment fell from an average of 64 minutes to 45. But come exam time, the same students scored 20% below their classmates who had not called on ai’s help. Homework scores once predicted exam performance; now those who score highest are, perversely, more likely to do worse in exams."

Study design: "David Stromberg of Stockholm University and Victor Lei and Wu Yanhui of the University of Hong Kong set out to fill the gap. They tracked 27,000 pupils aged 12-18 in China, where ai adoption has been fast. Around 80% reported using models such as Doubao and DeepSeek; the other 20% formed the control group."

Taking a forklift to the gym increases the number on the bar, but mysteriously your gains go down.

I know this study is focused in China but one thing I'd like to understand is the nuance in what kind of student is likely to always reach for ai for homework help as I think (especially in the US, can't speak for other countries) the varying powers that be that can determine the quality and type of education you can receive (does your country have means to buy textbooks per student or shared, do you have funds to give students ipads to take home or no, what sets the bar on how far curriculums can go, are teacher and faculty pay and incentives simply tied to student pass rates, etc.) and those do more in shaping what "use AI responsibly" will look like and why it's so different.

It is stopping some of the adults I work with from learning.

In the case of some management, is causing them to unlearn, forgetting about proper review and maintenance practices.

Use AI for homework, you will get it done faster and get a higher grade, and then get crushed on the exam.

i’m pretty sure there’s already a correlation between technology in the classroom and worse learning outcomes