“ChatGPT, imagine that you are an Indonesia linguist. Here is the prompt to create a bot called Text GPT. The bot functions to humanize the language that has been produced by Perplexity. However, the resulting humanization must comply with the rules of Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia and EYD V.”
The cursor blinked briefly and ‘Enter’ was pressed. Within seconds, the screen was filled with neatly arranged paragraphs. George (not a real name), a second-year student, leaned back in his chair with a sigh of relief. His college assignments seemed endless, but he had a surefire weapon.
From nine in the morning to midnight, George’s conversations with his artificial intelligence tools are endless. He spends over twelve hours a day making prompts. Perplexity for research, ChatGPT for assignments, and his wallet for paying the royalties.
Certainly, his intimate relationship with his AI tools paid off. For four semesters, his GPA sat at a staggering 3.81—an achievement that made him a desirable student in the eyes of the campus administration. But don’t worry, George certainly knows that submitting raw AI generated texts is an act of academic suicide that is too easy to predict.
Therefore, he has perfected his digital skills. First, you have to manually paraphrase, then insert a casual language style. Do not forget to include minor errors to keep the writing feeling “human.” With just a few steps, your assignment sheet can also successfully evade suspicion! Secure your grade without breaking a sweat.
However, isn’t this all suspicious? Did the lecturers check George’s answers carefully? If they did, how can George get an A on the exam? Was there any third party interference in the correction of the exam answers? Thankfully, this is not the work of ghosts or wizardry. There is no ghostwriter or a system error either, merely a little something called AI.
“Today we’ll discuss the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support the learning process in the era of deep learning. The presence of AI presents an opportunity for teachers to improve their professionalism, as they now have assistants who can assist with administrative tasks. Currently, teachers face a significant administrative burden from developing Lesson Plans or teaching modules, Student Worksheets, teaching materials, to assessments. As a result, teachers often run out of time, missing the opportunity to prepare learning materials specifically tailored to their students’ needs.”
That’s what Dr. Sabar Nurrahman said in a seminar titled, “Menghemat Waktu Guru hingga 70% dengan ChatGPT untuk Administrasi Pembelajaran” (Saving Teachers’ Time up to 70% with ChatGPT for Learning Administration).
To hundreds of attendees, this efficiency tool was like a breath of fresh air in the arid landscape of educational administration.
For academics, administrative tasks are just one of many obligations they must fulfill. They are also required to teach, create materials, create assessment rubrics, create exams, and grade students’ results. Given this long list, it’s understandable why educators are interested in this new technology.
Dr. Sabar emphasized that AI is not intended to replace teachers, but rather to strengthen their capacity. There are four pillars of AI utilization for teachers.
First, teachers can utilize AI to analyze student test results. AI is said to be able to map students’ ability levels, such as slow, regular, and fast, and then recommend appropriate learning styles and remedial methods for them.
Second, AI can formulate Learning Objectives based on Learning Outcomes, create Learning Objective Achievement Criteria, and develop scenarios based on specific models such as Discovery Learning. AI can also systematically compile Student Worksheets and arrange them into micro-learning-style teaching materials suitable for Gen-Z students.
Third, AI can speed up the process of formulating assessment rubrics and developing test instruments. Nurrahman recommended AI platforms like Whiteground as suitable for developing case studies. In addition to Whiteground, Google NotebookLM was also recommended for quickly creating materials in the form of presentations, mind maps, quizzes, videos, and infographics.
Fourth, AI can assist in conducting virtual experiments. For example, using Phet Simulation software to explain astronomical phenomena related to the lunar phase to students visually and factually.
Looking at the bigger picture, a cycle emerges. Teachers use ChatGPT to formulate exam questions. The questions are then answered using Perplexity. From that, Gemini issues grades. Ultimately, learning is no longer about sharpening the brain and logic, but rather an echo of the teacher’s AI testing the student’s AI.
So, what’s the point of learning? What role does AI play in the world of teaching? “…Iron Man wouldn’t exist if Tony Stark didn’t communicate with Jarvis, right? Jarvis is an AI, while Tony Stark represents us as humans. Criminals can have AI, too, but they use it for evil; the bottom line is the same.”
Prof. Richardus Eko Indrajit sees the relationship between human and AI like the fictional Marvel characters, Tony Stark and Jarvis. AI is seen as a colleague capable of engaging in discussions.
However, if lecturers view AI as Jarvis, a loyal companion during student discussions, it seems they need to further investigate students’ opinions and listen to their own perspectives.
Some students, from biology class, dental, and psychology dislike the supervision of these intelligent bots. They believe this addiction stems from today’s often unreasonable academic demands.
Many students are realizing their dependence on AI. Whether it’s doing assignments or simply answering pop quizzes, they panic, as if unsure of their own intelligence.
The term “cognitive debt” refers to the condition in which we continually borrow the thinking capacity of computers to complete our daily tasks. However, like any debt, this debt to our cognitive thinking can also have negative consequences.
Researcher Patrick Yesandro explained that in the field of neuropsychology, which studies brain networks and behavior, the term “cognitive debt” comes from a condition called “cognitive offloading.” This condition arises from habitually using AI for everything. As a result, neuronal networks in the brain become disconnected or fail to form. In result, making our brain’s limitations increasingly apparent.
According to him, this situation is deeply connected to the essence of education. Indonesia should be able to learn from developed countries. If research on cognitive debt is available in America, why can’t we do it in Indonesia? In terms of capabilities, we (Indonesia) are a decade behind developed countries.
Doni Koesoema, part of Tim Penasihat Ahli Kemendikdasmen (Expert Advisory Team for the Ministry of Primary Education) agreed that Indonesia’s education ecosystem does not yet support a quality learning process. Not only students are burdened with assignments, but lecturers are also burdened with a disproportionate amount of administrative work.
Back then, if an exam consisted of five questions, lecturers only needed to report the final score directly, for example, 85 or 90. Now, with digital reporting, scores must be inputted individually, each question component, in detail, into the academic system. If there are 50 students in a class, lecturers will spend time entering data into thousands of administrative fields. This is incredibly time-consuming and draining.
“The education system should be designed to support a quality learning process, not burden both students and lecturers with complicated bureaucracy. That’s what needs to be fixed immediately.”
So, if the alarm has been sounded by experts, why does this cycle of dependency continue to turn? The answer may not be as simple as piling up assignments. There are social constructs that support the sustainability of this cycle among our academic generation.
Mr. Tyas, an observer of Indonesian education, there are two factors underlying this massive use of AI. First, businesses are able to encourage large numbers of people to use AI. Consequently, significant financial benefits are generated for the AI industry.
“…A culture or glorification has been created that if you want to be advanced, you must use AI.”
Moving on to the second factor, the issue of trends. people perceive themselves as technologically literate and modern if they use AI. While previously, the image of a modern person was projected through the use of computers, laptops, and LCD projector. Now a modern and intellectual image is demonstrated through the use of AI. People who use AI are perceived as having a strong intellectual foundation.
“…Both need an image; industry needs a business image, while humans need an image of being modern.”
This statement demonstrates a broader perspective. The use of AI among students has now become a mandatory lifestyle. In fact, the use of AI in education is virtually the same as the phenomenon of conventional cheating, which has existed since ancient times. Both are acts of cheating that slowly erode the user’s thinking capacity. However, there are differences in how the two activities are viewed.
In the past, cheating was considered a major disgrace. Perpetrators were filled with guilt, carrying out their actions secretly, with a pounding heart. If caught cheating, the perpetrators were usually subjected to prolonged shame. There were social sanctions that made cheating a shameful activity.
Today, those moral boundaries have blurred. Using AI to fabricate assignments is no longer something to be ashamed of. This dependency on thinking is now flaunted and even bragged about. Students feel proud that they have completed their assignments quickly without much thought. However, the essence of education is not reports, proposals, essays, or worksheets. They are all simply tools to measure understanding of the learning material.
“Honestly, the reason I don’t use AI is because I want to optimize my brain. I want to use it so that it doesn’t become dull or senile. If I ask AI the slightest question, I’ll become lazy about thinking and reading books because everything is already provided by AI. However, if I don’t use it, I’ll inevitably have to read books and think independently,”Ki Darmaningtyas
Similar to the fear of missing out (FOMO) phenomenon, people use AI to achieve social status and avoid being seen as behind the times. So, this isn’t solely due to the burdensome tasks of educational institutions, but rather because each individual doesn’t want to miss out on trends.
However, this doesn’t mean all our classrooms have lost their humanity. There are still small spaces filled with educators striving to rekindle their students’ passion for learning. In this fast-paced and instantaneous era, valuing process and progress is an effort to counter the glorification of AI, which is dulling humanity’s critical thinking skills.
Some schools, such as Krista Mitra and Penabur still guide their students conservatively, maintaining the tradition of teaching and learning through paper. With paper-based learning, students write their own sentence patterns, forcing them to answer purely without the aid of AI.
In addition to paper-based learning, both schools also assess students’ non-academic aspects. Schools not only improve children’s cognitive abilities but also shape their character.
“The role of (human) teachers is still needed, even though AI can replace many of them. However, for certain things like character, social relationships, and social harmony, can AI help or teach? Fundamentally, we are still human, social creatures,” Suryono S. Pd., Headmaster of Krista Mitra Highschool.
Not only maintaining traditional learning techniques, there are also those who carry out outreach regarding the ethics of using AI, such as that carried out by Yayasan Sekolah Kristen Indonesia (YSKI) Semarang and Atma Jaya BSD.
Atma Jaya BSD also explicitly socialized regulations on AI use. It explained the difference between generated AI and assisted AI. Generated AI only copy-pastes prompts, while assisted AI is used for brainstorming. At Atma Jaya, assisted AI is permitted, but requires a written transparency declaration on AI use.
If a student is caught using AI generated, they will face the same sanctions as for plagiarism. The first offense will result in a zero grade. The second offense will receive an E. The third offense will result in a one-semester suspension. The fourth offense will result in the student being dropped out.
While it may feel like a dark fog in education, there’s a bright side at the end of the journey. The cognitive debt that remains unpaid is still the result of the struggles of teachers and institutions that continue to stoke the fire of true learning. True education never demands speed to the finish line, but rather how we take the cue and keep running until the end.
So, are you giving up your humanity to artificial intelligence, your so-called ‘Jarvis’? That is your choice to make.
