Interview: AI in Studies – Helpful Tool or Distracting Tech? A Conversation with a Media Scholar

Just a few years ago, it was unimaginable to receive spontaneous help for writing an essay in the middle of the night—without waking your friends, of course. Nowadays, all it takes is one click to ask an artificial intelligence (AI) for advice or instantly find relevant literature. This rapid development has long since found its way into lecture halls and libraries, significantly influencing the way students handle their studies. To better understand what AI really means for student learning, we've met up with Anna, a 24-year-old Master's student in Media Studies at the University of Bonn. In our conversation, she shared her experiences, hopes, and concerns regarding the use of AI tools in everyday university life.

Editor: Anna, do you currently use any AI tools in your studies?

Anna: Yes, mainly ChatGPT. For me, it's become a kind of conversational partner that I can bounce my thoughts off of. Often, I'm faced with an empty document and have no clue how to start—at moments like these, AI is a real lifesaver. It helps me develop initial ideas or create a clear structure for my essays. Sometimes I get stuck while trying to phrase something or feel unsure if I'm expressing myself clearly. ChatGPT steps in to help by checking my sentences and offering alternative phrasing suggestions. On top of that, it significantly simplifies my literature searches by quickly finding suitable sources—something that usually takes far longer on my own.

Editor: How has AI changed the way you study?

Anna: Basically, my study methods haven't fundamentally changed—I’ve always been a structured worker, even before using AI. However, using AI feels like a comfortable additional support, helping me approach tasks with less stress. I feel less pressured because I know I can always rely on AI to help resolve smaller issues or uncertainties. Of course, AI doesn't replace my own thinking, but it definitely makes it easier to get started and helps me organize my thoughts more clearly.

Editor: Beyond ChatGPT, do you know of any other AI tools, whether or not you've used them yourself?

Anna: Yeah, I’m aware of tools like Dall-E or Midjourney, which can generate pictures from short text descriptions. Although these kinds of programs seem exciting, and I could imagine myself using them for presentations or smaller projects someday, I haven't actually tried them for my studies yet.

Editor: Overall, how do you assess the use of AI in your studies?

Anna: I have mixed feelings about it. AI is genuinely amazing when it comes to simplifying some things and making them more convenient, especially concerning literature research or initial brainstorming. At the same time, I think it's crucial that students continue to think independently and stay creative instead of completely relying on technology. Independent learning and critical thinking, in particular, are core parts of university studies and shouldn't be compromised.

Editor: Do you think AI can be integrated meaningfully into your particular field of study?

Anna: Absolutely. Particularly in media studies and related fields, which are strongly influenced by technological developments, I'd say integrating AI isn't just beneficial—it’s necessary. Some seminars have already started explicitly tackling AI-related topics. Still, students and lecturers should jointly reflect on how AI can be used responsibly.

Editor: Do you see any challenges or concerns regarding the topic?

Anna: Definitely. The biggest challenge is probably ensuring that technology doesn't replace independent studying. AI should play a supportive role and help students improve but not do the studying for them.

Editor: In what specific ways can AI improve the quality and effectiveness of your academic work?

Anna: AI really helps me continually improve my writing style and makes my texts clearer and more precise. I often discover new academic terms and interesting phrases this way, which helps me express myself better. AI is also extremely helpful in catching minor mistakes—such as typos or grammatical errors—that I might miss even after proofreading multiple times. Overall, it gives me much more confidence in handling my studies.

Editor: Speaking of ethics and morals—do you think it’s acceptable to extensively use AI for academic work?

Anna: Using AI for literature searches or proofreading purposes is, in my opinion, completely acceptable. Problems arise when AI creates entire works without any real contribution from the student—that would cross an ethical line for me.

Editor: How could sensible regulation of AI look like?

Anna: That's tough to answer. Maybe clear guidelines could be created that define AI strictly as an aid and significantly limit its use during examinations or when writing final theses. However, realistically, effectively monitoring how extensively each individual uses AI could be quite challenging.

Editor: Do you think AI increases or decreases the risk of plagiarism?

Anna: Unfortunately, at the moment, AI probably increases the risk of plagiarism. Especially when AI systems don't always clearly cite their sources, mistakes can happen quickly. It's important, therefore, to raise awareness of this challenge and encourage responsible use.

Editor: Finally, what specific features would your ideal AI software for academic use have?

Anna: Ideally, I'd love an AI that’s able to quickly identify suitable academic literature and highlight specific relevant passages. Sometimes I simply don't have time to read an entire book if only a few sections are relevant for my work. Having an AI to pinpoint these parts could save valuable time and enable me to focus more closely on what really matters for my project. Additionally, it would be fantastic if the AI could draw connections between different texts, offering new perspectives or interpretations that I might not have found on my own.

Conclusion and Outlook

Speaking with Anna highlights how AI has already become a regular part of daily student life in an approachable and clear manner. However, she firmly stresses that it's all about finding the perfect balance. AI should support and inspire students without depriving them of their creativity or independent thinking. Particularly in tech-focused subjects like media studies, there are tremendous opportunities, but also significant challenges. Clear guidelines and open discussions are needed to fully utilize AI’s potential while avoiding pitfalls like plagiarism or technological dependency. It will certainly be fascinating to observe how the interaction between technology and independent studying develops further over the coming years.