Interview: AI in Computer Science Studies – Balancing Efficiency Gains and the Loss of Thought

Computer science is all about logic, puzzles, and algorithms. But what happens if parts of this process suddenly get taken over by AI? We talked to a 24-year-old computer science student in his tenth semester at Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf. In our conversation, he explained how AI makes his studies more efficient—but also why it can reduce his enjoyment. Yet despite these concerns, he doesn't support additional regulations.

Editor: Do you use AI tools for your studies?

Student: Definitely. I'm mainly using ChatGPT—it's become something like a study companion by now. Especially when dealing with theoretical questions or when I'm stuck programming, I often ask the AI for ideas or possible solutions. Usually, just one or two hints are enough to get me back on track.

Especially for complex coding tasks, it's a huge time saver not having to browse through endless forum posts. I can just directly ask my question and immediately get either a rough direction or even working code examples. But what I find crucial is that I still try to fully understand the suggestions instead of blindly copying them. AI helps me reach my goal quicker—but developing the core understanding by myself still matters to me strongly; otherwise, it wouldn't feel like it's really "my code".

Editor: Which tasks in particular do you like doing with AI?

Student: Mostly programming tasks or theoretical problem-solving. Especially in complex functions or logical puzzles, I ask AI for an initial hint—sometimes just that push is enough to continue thinking independently. It saves massive amounts of time, which honestly is precious in today's busy student life. But at the same time, I realize AI reduces part of the actual mental effort. Earlier, I would puzzle over a problem forever, really dive into it—and that was often the most fun. Nowadays, it's more convenient, sure, but it's also a bit less satisfying. Sometimes I miss that feeling of satisfaction when I found a bug by myself or cleverly solved something. That's why I try not to blindly copy suggestions but instead take the time to truly grasp why something works.

Editor: Has AI changed the way you study?

Student: Yeah, absolutely. Short-term, assignments and studying have gotten much simpler. I no longer need hours of research or trial-and-error. But, because of that ease, I sometimes miss out on developing that deeper understanding you normally gain from thinking everything through by yourself.

Editor: Are there other AI tools you're aware of?

Student: Aside from ChatGPT, obviously I'm familiar with the whole OpenAI ecosystem—which is pretty omnipresent in my student environment. Tools like DeepSeek also come up, especially on tech forums where students frequently discuss new tools. Additionally, I keep noticing AI-based software being advertised or integrated into platforms like GitHub—but often I can't remember all their names, there are just too many now. What I've learned, though, is that most of these tools only really shine if you feed them specific prompts suited for your needs. Actually, formulating effective prompts has become almost a separate skill—asking well-structured questions to get valuable responses. Despite all these choices, in daily studying, I mainly stick to ChatGPT simply because so far it has consistently delivered the best results.

Editor: What's your overall opinion on AI in studies?

Student: I'm somewhat torn. On the one hand, AI makes many things easier—especially in a technically oriented subject like computer science. On the other hand, it can take away the actual fun: coming up with your own logic, creatively approaching a problem. That creative aspect is often the most motivating part.

Editor: Do you think AI can meaningfully be integrated into university curricula?

Student: Absolutely. AI can considerably simplify learning and can even partly fulfill the role of a private tutor, especially when you're studying alone or get completely stuck. Sometimes, it's a massive relief just quickly receiving a clear explanation instead of looking through forums or textbooks for hours.

Also helpful: you can freely ask the AI anything, even seemingly stupid questions—something that's often difficult with real people since we fear embarrassing ourselves. The AI doesn't judge. That means I dare to ask more questions, dig deeper, and experiment a bit more. That gives me a feeling of security and control over my own learning process. Especially during stressful periods, that's extremely valuable.

Editor: Do you see any drawbacks?

Student: Definitely. With AI, it’s really tempting to solve tasks without fully understanding the topic first. That might work short term, but eventually, there's a gap in knowledge—and you'll notice this glaringly in exams or later in your job.

Editor: In what ways could AI improve your study quality?

Student: Very practically speaking: AI helps me to write clearer and more structured texts—especially helpful for assignments that require precise explanations. It offers different approaches for solving problems, giving me a quick starting point particularly for tricky programming issues. This is especially useful when I've hit a wall and just can't make progress on my own. At the same time, it forces me to improve my own reflection skills: What exactly do I want to know? How can I ask a concrete, precise question?

But yeah, this only really works well if you're actively thinking about what the AI presents, not just accepting it at face value. AI is a tool after all—hugely helpful if used wisely, but it might quickly become a crutch if you let it do too much thinking for you. That’s why I consciously try to question every suggestion and evaluate if they truly fit my specific problem.

Editor: What about the ethical perspective?

Student: From my viewpoint, it's morally acceptable—as long as you're willing to assume full responsibility. AI isn't perfect—it does make mistakes, especially in more complex topics. Thus, you always have to double-check its outputs and compare them with trusted resources. As long as students actively do that, it's fine to use it extensively.

Editor: Should the use of AI be regulated at universities?

Student: Honestly, no. Regulation wouldn't really help, because realistically, it's tough to enforce. Instead of increasing rules, a better approach would be adjusting assignments to a realistic workload—then students wouldn't feel the need for shortcuts as much.

Editor: Does AI increase the risk of plagiarism?

Student: Definitely. AI is trained on existing data and can create content that's strongly patterned after existing material, so that's definitely a tricky issue.

Editor: What would your ideal AI be able to do?

Student: It shouldn't just generate text—an ideal AI would think computationally, reason effectively, and, importantly, truly understand programming contexts. Right now, there are still too many small yet critical mistakes that ultimately require manual corrections. I imagine a perfect AI could not only read code but genuinely understand it—recognizing objectives, checking logical flows, ensuring everything harmonizes correctly. It should be able to thoroughly test code, identify typical bugs, and clearly explain why something doesn't work. That would be a real game changer—not only for me as a student but also for the professional world later on. Ultimately, it’s vital that the AI isn't just impressive-sounding but actively saves me work without careful double-checking every line of output.

Editor: Any additional ideas for tasks AI could take on?

Student: Honestly—everything I could think of probably already exists somewhere. More important would be improving existing functionalities and their reliability.

Conclusion and Outlook

This conversation clearly shows that even among computer science students, AI is viewed as a double-edged sword. While it saves effort and makes academic life significantly more efficient, it simultaneously carries the risk of losing critical, creative thinking—the very core of a discipline where "figuring things out by yourself" is essential.

Our interviewee uses AI in a pragmatic and thoughtful way. He realizes the benefits when actively engaging, but acknowledges that passively relying on AI can backfire. As so often, the key lies in a deliberate and responsible use of technology.

Or, as one might jokingly say: "AI is just like a calculator—super handy. But if you're going to use it to simplify fractions, you'd better at least know what a fraction is."