AI Chatbots Popular among Students with Executive Functioning Challenges

The emergence of AI tools like ChatGPT has sparked considerable debate within educational institutions regarding their role in content creation and academic work.

Researchers in Sweden have explored the link between adolescents' executive functioning (EF) and their usage and perceived usefulness of generative AI chatbots for school-related tasks.

Their findings have been published in Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence.

"Students with more EF challenges found these tools particularly useful, especially for completing assignments," said Johan Klarin, a school psychologist and research assistant at Lund University's Department of Psychology.

"This highlights these tools' role as a potential support for students struggling with cognitive processes crucial for academic success."

However, the researchers cautioned that overreliance on AI tools could hinder or delay the development of essential cognitive skills and learning processes.

"This should be carefully considered when implementing AI support in schools, and the effects should be studied longitudinally," added Dr. Daiva Daukantaitė, the project leader and an associate professor at Lund University.

The research involved two studies.

The first study surveyed 385 adolescents, aged 12 to 16, from four primary schools in southern Sweden.

The second study included 359 students aged 15 to 19 from the same high school.

The studies showed that AI chatbot usage was around 15% among younger students and about 53% among older students.

This difference may be due to older students being assigned more complex tasks that necessitate the use of AI tools.

The researchers also noted that the studies were conducted nearly a year apart, which could suggest an increase in AI usage over time.

More importantly, the studies revealed that students with greater EF challenges found generative AI significantly more useful for schoolwork than their peers.

The researchers suggested that these students experience greater productivity gains from using AI tools.

"The line between cheating and using AI tools as an aid should be drawn based on the intent and extent of use," Klarin explained.

Using AI tools to complete entire assignments and submitting them as one's own work is considered cheating.

However, if students critically engage with the AI-generated content and contribute their own understanding, it can be viewed as a legitimate aid.

Responsible use of ChatGPT, especially for students with EF challenges, can include tasks such as research, idea generation, and understanding complex concepts.

"Educators should provide guidelines and frameworks for appropriate use. Teaching digital literacy and ethical considerations is also crucial," Klarin said.

The researchers emphasized the importance of balancing AI support with academic integrity.

"Our work lays the initial groundwork to inform educators, policymakers, and technology developers about the role of generative AI in education and how to balance its benefits with the need to maintain academic integrity and promote genuine learning," Daukantaitė concluded.

However, they acknowledged the study's limitations, including the reliance on self-reported data and the specific age groups and educational contexts studied, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.