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Ray Borja

Marion Quincy

English 1102

July 15, 2025

Does AI reduce Creative Thinking in Teenagers?

In today’s classrooms, artificial intelligence, commonly known as AI, has gone from a

futuristic conceptual tool to a powerful tool controlling the minds of students. From apps like

Chat(space)GPT and Gemini, to grammar correctors such as Grammarly, high schoolers and

other students gain access to a varied array of AI-powered sources. These tools were marked as

educational aids, helping students brainstorm new ideas, edit work, and even solve complex

problems. However, as these tools become more commonly used, educators and researchers, and

even some students, began to question the long-term effects, specifically on creativity. While AI

is meant to be a helpful tool for students, over-reliance can harm their ability to think

independently, create original ideas, and express them in a unique way.

AI tools have rapidly become mainstream in high school classrooms (try to phrase this a

bit differently to help the structure of writing). Students use AI to generate essay drafts, solve

math equations, translate, and summarize. According to Klein’s 2024 study by Education Week,

nearly one-third of high school students admitted to using AI for academic tasks, from

homework to essays (Klein 2024). While some educators chose to embrace this new technology

and use it as an aid to learn, others express a great concern that AI is becoming more than just an

aid-it is replacing the students’ brain. (maybe rework this one as well, you've used "aid" twice in

the same sentence.

AI’s ability to instantly produce results allows students to skip key parts of their learning

and producing process. For example, brainstorming and revision being two foundational

components of creative writing, can now be created by a single prompt. This results with (in)

faster productivity but limits the student’s engagement with their own creative mind. Over time,

students may lose the natural gifts of motivation and creativity to generate their ideas

independently. (show examples with studies or other writing to back this up!)

A major concern among educators is that AI content is similar to those of the user. A 2024

study by Liu et al (first introduction, add names of all participants in study) analyzed students’

work before and after the use of ChatGPT. When students relied on AI, their work was more

“homogenized”, lacking that unique voice (Liu 2024). Suggesting that students who use AI tools

are more likely to sound similar to technological patterns than themselves.

Even when AI is used to only assist and aid, the final product reflects the structure and

tone of the technology, rather than the student. One teacher interviewed by Education Week

noticed that ever (remove "ever" for better flow) since AI became (has become) more

widespread, students’ responses are sounding more “robotic” and “less thoughtful” (Klein,

2023). In short, while AI can generate grammatically correct text, it lacks the human

imperfections and experimental risks that give writing originality and style.

Struggling through creative processes is not a flaw- it’s a natural part of learning. A 2023

study by Lee and Park from the Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange

found that students who were forced to solve problems or write without the use of AI showed

greater long term retention and originality (2023). In contrast, students who used AI consistently

were more likely to default to similar structures and responses across assignments.
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The mental muscle of creativity needs exercise. If students rely on AI too much, they risk

losing their natural skills they need to problem solve, brainstorm, and idea originate. This may

lead to a new generation of students who produce text, but cannot explain or defend it in their

own voice. Schools must ask: are students becoming more efficient, or simply more dependent?

Some argue that AI, when used responsibly, can enhance creativity. By offering new

suggestions, rewordings, and alternate responses, tools like ChatGPT can spark new ideas that

students aren’t thinking on their own. A 2023 article in Edutopia highlights how some teachers

are integrating AI to help their students overcome their writers block and explore different

writing styles (Turner, 2023). These teachers argue that AI can serve as a helpful aid, as they help

creativity become more accessible.

Additionally, proponents claim that AI is not replacing thinking, but rather reframing it,

In the real world professionals use AI for almost everything. From research summaries to

marketing drafts, AI can do it. Should schools prepare their students to use these tools, or ignore

the fact and ban them? This is a valid question, especially as AI has become a literacy tool and an

essential skill in today’s industries.

While it is true that AI can assist students in early stages of tasks, the danger heavily lies

in overuse. What begins as a quick brainstorming tool can quickly become a crutch. And unlike

calculators, generative AI has the ability to write essays, create stories, and even compose emails

and responses. If students continue to rely on AI to do the thinking for them, they lose a great

opportunity to develop their own voice.

More importantly, students in high school are still forming their academic identities.

These years are critical for discovering how to express, argue, and create. If this process is ruined
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by AI, students may never be able to fully develop their potential, to create and generate their

originality. Over time, the cost of convenience becomes a loss of identity, intellectual growth,

and imagination.

Schools are beginning to respond to this issue with a mix of policies and curriculum

changes. Some counties have blocked students’ access to AI tools altogether, while others are

integrating AI into their lesson plans. Teachers are teaching their students how to ethically use AI

tools without losing their original creativity. Educators are also beginning to use more in class

writing and oral practices to make sure students do not lose their originality.

Ultimately, it is not AI that is the problem, but how it is used. Students, parents, and

teachers must work together to ensure clear boundaries of this tool. AI should serve as a tool and

not as a replacement for the student’s own mind. By encouraging balance and reflection, schools

can protect the creative thinking that is vital for both academic success and personal growth.

Artificial intelligence has brought incredible convenience and support to education, but it

comes with the risk of creative erosion. As more students turn to AI for assistance, we must ask

how much is too much.? While AI can help spark ideas, over reliance on it can and will strip

students of their originality, critical thinking skills, and creativity. Creativity is not a luxury; it is

a necessary skill for communication and innovation. If schools want to prepare students for the

future, they must also protect what makes their students human: the ability to think, speak, and

imagine for themselves.

Works Cited

Klein, Alyson. “An Expert Asked AI to Write like a 4th Grader. Here’s What It Came Up With.”
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Education Week, 14 Dec. 2023, [Link]

o-write-like-a-4th-grader-heres-what-it-came-up-with/2023/12.

Klein, Alyson. “New Data Reveal How Many Students Are Using AI to Cheat.” Education Week,

Apr. 2024, [Link]

using-ai-to-cheat/2024/04.

Liu, Qi, et al. “When ChatGPT Is Gone: Creativity Reverts and Homogeneity Persists.” arXiv,

14 Jan. 2024, [Link]

Lee, Sunwoo, and Park, Hyun-Jin. “Student Creativity in the Age of AI: A Comparative Study of

AI-Assisted and Independent Learning.” Journal of Educational Technology Develo

pment and Exchange, vol. 16, no. 2, 2023, pp. 103–119.

Turner, Kristen. “AI Can Help Writers. Here’s How Teachers Can Guide Its Use.” Edutopia, 8

Sept. 2023, [Link]

Ray, I loved the research paper you've written so far. For starters, the paper is incredibly topical

and an important area to dive into as the future advances and learning changes. I think you hit

everything important, emphasizing that AI is harmful to young students trying to find their

"Academic identity". I liked that phrase you used and thought it was very clever. I thought that

you displayed an understanding of the concept you were speaking about and could feel some of
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the passion you have for this topic in your writing. Besides a few small grammatical errors, I

thought this was well written. There were a couple of sentences above I underlined that could

potentially be rewritten and phrased a bit smoother for the sake of the actual writing. Your

content is excellent and the points you make in your writing are well done. The only other thing I

would emphasize is adding more sources and integrating them into your writing. I can think of

one particular paragraph where you talk about the "mental muscle" needing exercise for

creativity, and using AI weakens that part of the brain. While I wholeheartedly agree with you, I

think that you need to add an additional source in there to back that claim up. There are a couple

of other paragraphs that could benefit from some accredited researchers at well. This would only

strengthen your claim and paper even more! I think you're doing excellent and have a great

foundation. I look forward to seeing the final product of what you've written and hope it works

out well for you!