Peking University, Sep 16, 2026: Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of how people learn, solve problems, and construct knowledge. Yet whether AI strengthens human intelligence or encourages excessive dependence remains an open question.

A research team led by Associate Professor Ye Weiming of Peking University HSBC Business School and Li Qian, a faculty associate at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, examined how the public discusses AI-assisted learning. Their study, published in the peer-reviewed communication and education journal Comunicar, analyzes the cognitive, behavioral, and ethical consequences of using AI to acquire, understand, and apply knowledge.

Why it matters
AI improves access to information and helps users complete complex tasks efficiently. However, concerns about inaccurate content, weakened independent thinking, plagiarism, and unclear responsibility have also grown. The researchers therefore examined AI-assisted learning through three dimensions — cognition, behavior, and ethics — and three stages of knowledge construction — acquisition, comprehension, and application.

Key findings
The study analyzed Reddit discussions from 2013 to 2025. Of 20,174 collected texts, 10,503 valid posts remained after cleaning. Using the Biterm Topic Model (BTM) and qualitative analysis, the researchers identified major public concerns about how AI is changing learning and knowledge construction.

During knowledge acquisition, users appreciated AI's speed and ability to organize information, but factual errors and flawed reasoning created "credibility anxiety." During knowledge comprehension, AI made difficult concepts easier to grasp, while overreliance risked weakening independent reasoning and critical thinking. Some users responded by limiting AI use and reconstructing knowledge themselves.

During knowledge application, AI reduced trial-and-error costs and offered new problem-solving paths. However, it also raised concerns about plagiarism, intellectual property, fairness, and responsibility. Overall, public attitudes followed a cycle of trust, doubt, and recalibration. AI use also expanded from individual experimentation to result comparison, collaborative verification, and community checking.

Future Implications
The study suggests that AI is increasingly becoming an intellectual partner, behavioral facilitator, and ethical interlocutor, rather than merely a tool.

The researchers argue that AI-assisted learning is an ongoing negotiation over efficiency, trust, autonomy, and responsibility. They call for transparent, participatory, and phased governance that can evolve alongside AI technology.

*This article is featured in PKU News "Why It Matters" series. More from this series.
Read more: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21362544 

Written by: Akaash Babar
Edited by: Chen Shizhuo
Source: PKU News (Chinese)