College graduates are using ChatGPT as a study and writing helper

In short: The first college classes that had tools like ChatGPT throughout school are using AI for everyday studying and writing, and colleges are adjusting rules and teaching to match.

What's going on

Interviews and school reports described in a New York Times opinion piece point to a clear pattern. Many students use generative AI (tools that can write and explain text, like an always-on tutor) for grammar fixes, rewriting, and making summaries. They also use it to turn readings into notes, study guides, and flashcards, or to ask for simpler explanations.

Some students go further and use AI to draft essays or assignment answers. In lower-stakes work, a portion reportedly paste AI text with only small edits, which worries instructors. In technical courses, students often use AI to help write basic code, find bugs, and create test cases (like asking a helper to try to break your work so you can fix it).

Teachers are learning that bans are hard to enforce and can backfire. Cases like Ethan Mollick’s classroom experiments and a Dartmouth public health program suggest that structured use can help, especially when students are taught how to ask good questions, check facts, and explain what they changed. Some assignments even ask students to use AI on purpose and then write about what it got wrong, so they practice spotting mistakes and weak reasoning.

What to watch

Expect more colleges to set clearer, trust-based rules that spell out what is allowed, like editing and studying, and what is not, like having AI produce graded answers. Many schools may also redesign tests and assignments to require drafts, reflections, or in-class work, since AI detection tools are often unreliable.

Source: NYTimes