# Do AI tutors empower or enslave learners? Toward a critical use of AI in education

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.06878 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.06878/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 9 Jul 2025.

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [Rethinking Scaffolding in LLM Tutors: The Interactional Mismatch Between Benchmarks and Real-World Deployments](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.15766/) (2026)
- [AI Meets Mathematics Education: A Case Study on Supporting an Instructor in a Large Mathematics Class with Context-Aware AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.26679/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The increasing integration of AI tools in education presents both opportunities and challenges, particularly regarding the development of the students' critical thinking skills. This position paper argues that while AI can support learning, its unchecked use may lead to cognitive atrophy, loss of agency, emotional risks, and ethical concerns, ultimately undermining the core goals of education. Drawing on cognitive science and pedagogy, the paper explores how over-reliance on AI can disrupt meaningful learning, foster dependency and conformity, undermine the students' self-efficacy, academic integrity, and well-being, and raise concerns about questionable privacy practices. It also highlights the importance of considering the students' perspectives and proposes actionable strategies to ensure that AI serves as a meaningful support rather than a cognitive shortcut. The paper advocates for an intentional, transparent, and critically informed use of AI that empowers rather than diminishes the learner.