Does AI make us smarter or more dependent?

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of how people learn, solve problems and construct knowledge. Yet whether AI strengthens human intelligence or encourages excessive dependence remains an open question.

A research team led by Associate Professor Ye Weiming of Peking University HSBC Business School and Li Qian, a faculty associate at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, examined how the public discusses AI-assisted learning.

Their study, published in Comunicar, analyzes the cognitive, behavioral and ethical consequences of using AI to acquire, understand and apply knowledge.

AI improves access to information and helps users complete complex tasks efficiently. However, concerns about inaccurate content, weakened independent thinking, plagiarism and unclear responsibility have also grown. The researchers therefore examined AI-assisted learning through three dimensions—cognition, behavior and ethics—and three stages of knowledge construction—acquisition, comprehension and application.

Key findings

The study analyzed Reddit discussions from 2013 to 2025. Of 20,174 collected texts, 10,503 valid posts remained after cleaning. Using the Biterm Topic Model (BTM) and qualitative analysis, the researchers identified major public concerns about how AI is changing learning and knowledge construction.

During knowledge acquisition, users appreciated AI’s speed and ability to organize information, but factual errors and flawed reasoning created “credibility anxiety.” During knowledge comprehension, AI made difficult concepts easier to grasp, while overreliance risked weakening independent reasoning and critical thinking. Some users responded by limiting AI use and reconstructing knowledge themselves.

During knowledge application, AI reduced trial-and-error costs and offered new problem-solving paths. However, it also raised concerns about plagiarism, intellectual property, fairness and responsibility. Overall, public attitudes followed a cycle of trust, doubt and recalibration. AI use also expanded from individual experimentation to result comparison, collaborative verification and community checking.

Future implications

The study suggests that AI is increasingly becoming an intellectual partner, behavioral facilitator and ethical interlocutor, rather than merely a tool.

The researchers argue that AI-assisted learning is an ongoing negotiation over efficiency, trust, autonomy and responsibility. They call for transparent, participatory and phased governance that can evolve alongside AI technology.

Who’s behind this story?

Swati Mestri

Swati Mestri holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering and has worked as a content editor since 2019. She has experience editing research documents across technology, health care, and materials science, and has a particular interest in technology and space.

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Robert Egan

Bachelor’s in mathematical biology, Master’s in creative writing. Well-traveled with unique perspectives on science and language.

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