A QUEENSLAND researcher is warning against the unadulterated use of artificial intelligence by students, warning it could create a generation of uncritical thinkers.
Generative AI is reshaping how students learn, write and study – but according to CQUniversity’s Head of Educational Neuroscience, Professor Ken Purnell, the real risk is not the technology itself. It’s how uncritically we use it.
In a major new paper on chatbots and learning published this week, CQU’s Head of Educational Neuroscience, Professor Purnell, argues that generative AI is neither magic nor the enemy and that the way forward is not blind enthusiasm or outright bans, but clear education about how AI works, where it fails, and why humans must stay in charge of thinking.
“Chatbots don’t think. They don’t understand. And they don’t know what’s true,” Professor Purnell said.
“They are powerful tools for generating language, but they should never replace human judgment. When we outsource our thinking to a machine, learning suffers.”
Drawing on neuroscience research, his paper highlights evidence that when students rely on AI to generate essays or arguments, their brains engage less deeply.
“Learning happens when students analyse, connect ideas and build arguments themselves,” he said.
“When AI does that work for them, those mental pathways don’t activate in the same way. The result is weaker understanding and poorer memory.”
In one recent brain-imaging study, students who used ChatGPT to write essays struggled to recall their own work just minutes later.
“That should concern every educator,” Professor Purnell said.
The paper is not anti-AI. In fact, Professor Purnell says chatbots can be valuable learning tools when used intentionally and transparently.
Used well, AI can help students brainstorm ideas and explore different perspectives, clarify difficult concepts or provide alternative explanations, support learners with barriers such as dyslexia, receive feedback on drafts.
“The key principle is simple,” Professor Purnell said.
“AI should amplify thinking, not replace it.”
He argues the most urgent task for schools and universities is teaching students how to use AI responsibly, critically and ethically.
