ORLANDO, Fla. — Students are using artificial intelligence to study, write and complete homework. But when does help become a shortcut that keeps them from learning?
University of Florida professor Dr. Maya Israel says the answer depends partly on how the technology is used.
“These tools are so powerful they can be used both to support learning, but they can also be used to have kids bypass critical thinking,” Israel told 9 Investigates’ Alexa Lorenzo.
Florida’s State Board of Education adopted new AI rules in September, emphasizing that the technology should support teachers and students rather than replace human instruction.
Answers students can’t explain
Israel helped launch Florida’s K-12 AI Education Task Force to develop recommendations for classroom use, including how schools choose tools and prepare teachers.
She says research is still catching up with the technology.
“We don’t necessarily know how AI is going to affect students’ critical thinking, mental health, relationships,” Israel said.
Teacher and tutor Anna Rodriguez says she has already encountered students who turn in homework but cannot explain it.
“So what was the homework about? And they don’t really know because it was just a copy and paste,” Rodriguez said.
She worries that relying on AI to complete assignments could undermine students’ thinking over time.
A student uses AI to build something new
Freedom High School senior Sakshi Tripathy offers another example of how students can use the technology.
Tripathy, whose course load includes AP Physics Mechanics, AP Calculus BC and dual enrollment classes, created an SAT preparation website with help from AI.
“I did a lot of the Python coding and the HTML, CSS stuff by myself,” Tripathy said. “AI helps me plan who’s my target audience.”
She hopes to study neuroscience and computer science and eventually use AI to help understand the brain and inform treatments for neurological disorders.
“It’s not used to diminish our learning,” she said. “It’s used to increase our knowledge.”
OCPS requires teacher permission
Orange County Public Schools Chief Information Officer Maurice Draggon says the distinction is whether a tool supports learning or simply supplies an answer.
“If you are using a tool that is just going to tell you the answer, you’re not learning,” Draggon said.
Under OCPS guidance, students need prior documented teacher approval to use district-approved AI platforms to brainstorm, outline, draft, revise or edit submitted work. Students must also follow classroom guidelines, verify their work and disclose authorized AI use.
Israel says tools designed specifically for instruction can help reduce the risk of students bypassing critical thinking.
Draggon emphasized that teachers remain responsible for instruction.
“It is still a qualified, highly experienced, highly professional teacher that is teaching every child in OCPS, and that’s not going to change,” he said.
What parents can ask
Experts interviewed for the report encourage parents to ask children to walk through their homework and explain how they reached an answer.
“So it’s important for them to understand that they are the thinkers, not the computer,” Rodriguez said.
A national RAND survey found that 62% of students from middle school through college reported using AI for homework help in December 2025, up from 48% that May. Those findings describe students’ reported use and perceptions, rather than establishing whether AI causes a decline in thinking skills.
Israel says schools need a thoughtful approach as evidence develops.
“We don’t necessarily know how AI is going to influence the way students are thinking and interacting and problem solving,” she said.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.