Constant use of artificial intelligence in the study routine may be linked to lower performance in assessments, according to PISA data released by the OECD. Research indicates that 15-year-old students who use chatbots daily for school activities achieve lower grades compared to peers who rarely use this technology.
In Brazil, almost half of students already incorporate AI into their studies. However, the data itself shows that the correlation between technology use and performance depends on the frequency and, crucially, the methodology of applying these tools.
The latest survey from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) collected information from over 760,000 young people in 91 nations. Among students who use AI daily or almost every day to create written work, the average score in science was 481 points. In contrast, those who almost never or never resort to the technology for this purpose scored 509 points.
This disparity of 28 points, adjusted for socioeconomic factors, is equivalent to about a year and a half of instruction. A similar pattern appears when chatbots are used to conduct initial research on new subjects or to synthesize reading materials.
Just as learning is not conditioned only by watching sports but by practicing them, the learning process does not occur merely through content consumption but through productive cognitive engagement with new material.
Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills at the OECD, commented to Bloomberg that AI should be seen as a 'scaffolding, not a crutch.' He maintains that technology can boost learning by stimulating intellectual effort, but it can be detrimental to development if it assumes this role instead of the student.
In the Brazilian context, 48% of 15-year-old students report using AI chatbots at least weekly for studying, a rate close to the 46% average observed in OECD member countries.
Technology permeates various moments of school life. Brazil's educational results fell short of the OECD average in the three assessed areas. In science, 48% of students reached at least proficiency level 2, compared to 74% in organization. Only 1% reached levels 5 or 6, compared to 7% in the OECD.
In mathematics, 28% of Brazilians reached at least level 2, while the OECD average was 65%. In reading, Brazil recorded 49%, compared to 69% in the organization.
The data also indicates that technology is not inherently harmful. Students who use AI once or twice a week tend to perform better than those who use it less or those who rely on the tool daily.
The advance of generative AI has intensified the debate about the presence of devices and technology in classroom environments. Bloomberg reported that a growing number of nations is considering restricting cell phone use in schools, motivated by concerns that digital resources may decrease students' ability to concentrate on learning.