Failing grades soar with AI use: Sridhar Vembu says AI can make you smart or dumb

Key points

• "AI can make you smarter faster, but AI can also make you dumber faster." That was the warning issued by Sridhar Vembu on X as artificial intelligence becomes embedded in classrooms, coding assignments, and everyday student life.
• The statement also raises a broader question.
• As AI use grows, researchers and educators are examining whether dependence on these tools is affecting foundational skills such as reading, reasoning and problem-solving.
• FROM BERKELEY CLASSROOMS TO INDIAN CAMPUSES, CONCERNS OVER AI MISUSE GROW Professors at the University of California, Berkeley have reported a rise in failing grades in some computer science courses even as the use of AI tools among students has increased.
• Faculty members say many students can generate code, complete assignments and obtain solutions with the help of AI, but struggle when asked to solve problems independently during examinations or technical interviews.