Almost 80% of Australian uni students now use AI. This is creating an ‘illusion of competence’
Almost 80% of Australian uni students now use AI. This is creating an ‘illusion of competence’
Publish Date: 2026-03-16 15:09:00
Source Domain: theconversation.com
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Prevalence of AI in Education: In 2025, nearly 80% of university students in Australia and 94% internationally are using AI in their studies, sparking concerns about its use in cheating.
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Risks of Cognitive Offloading: AI’s use undermines sustainable deep learning. “Cognitive offloading” risks especially younger students since they are still building their foundational knowledge and skills.
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Performance Paradox: AI can improve short-term task performance but harm long-term learning. An example from a 2025 Turkish high school study showed students performed better in maths with AI but lost significant ground without it.
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Erosion of Learning Skills: The ease of AI-generated responses makes students less engaged in planning, monitoring, and revising their work, thereby reducing their actual knowledge base over time.
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Role of Critical Thinking: Effective critical analysis requires deep knowledge; AI undermines this essential skill by making students overly reliant on easy-to-use tools.
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Educational Strategies: Transition AI from an “answer oracle” to a partner in thinking by:
- Offloading extraneous academic tasks to free cognitive space for learning.
- Using AI as a “cognitive mirror” to stimulate deep engagement.
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Teacher-Centric Development: AI tools should support teacher capacity to foster sustained learning rather than just enhancing students’ immediate performance.
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Preparation for Future: The goal is to prepare students to use AI responsibly by emphasizing that long-term learning requires sustained effort and the cultivation of cognitive skills.
