Think from KERA How A.I. is getting in the way of real learning
Feb 10, 2026
Clay Shirky, vice provost for AI and technology in education at NYU and writer on tech’s social impacts, talks about AI-generated student papers and why writing trains deep learning. He explores productive struggle, how professors can redesign assessments, and when AI is a helpful study aid versus a shortcut that erodes hard-won skills.
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Writing Is The Learning, Not The Product
- Writing forces abstract, critical thinking in ways listening does not.
- Offloading writing to AI gives output but removes the learning experience.
Struggle Signals True Learning
- Desirable difficulty makes learning durable even though it feels unpleasant.
- Fluency feels like learning but often produces only surface familiarity.
Use AI As A Reflective Mirror
- Use AI as a feedback partner to reflect on and revise your own work.
- Ask AI to change tone, level, or generate likely questions to strengthen your understanding.
