What the research reveals about students as AI allies

Many educators worry that generative AI will lead to a decline in academic standards. However, current global research represents a more nuanced picture. Students, too, report significant concern about AI use in the classroom — from fairness and over-reliance to uncertainty around expectations. This shared anxiety marks the need for clearer boundaries. Data shows that when the right limits are in place, AI can actually improve student engagement and mastery without becoming a shortcut.

Join us as we discover how AI, when used responsibly, can act as an essential ally for both students and teachers. We will take a deep dive into recent research to show how making the writing journey visible helps move AI in education from a place of fear to one of partnership.

You’ll hear about:

• Factors driving student anxiety around AI and the need for institutional leadership.
• The evidence-based difference between using AI as an answer engine and leveraging it as a guided tutor.
• Ways to make the writing journey a visible and supported part of the learning process.

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Speaker: Patti West-Smith Patti West-Smith | Senior Director, Customer Engagement, Turnitin