Almost 80% of Australian uni students now use AI. This is creating an ‘illusion of competence’

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 19:28:12 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/almost-80-of-australian-uni-students-now-use-ai-this-is-creating-an-illusion-of-competence-278413>

"In Australia, artificial intelligence is becoming a near-universal feature of
education.

As of 2025, nearly 80% of university students reported using AI in their
studies. Overseas, reports are even higher. This year, a UK survey of
undergraduates found 94% were using it to help with assessed work.

This has ushered in widespread concerns about students using AI to cheat on
their work and exams. But in a new report with colleague Leslie Loble, we argue
there is a far greater risk.

There is a growing body of evidence that suggests using AI can undermine the
effort required for sustainable, deep learning. This so-called “cognitive
offloading” from human to AI is especially risky for younger students as they
are still building their basic knowledge and skills."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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