Desirable Difficulties: Preventing AI from Being the Death of Thought – ABC Religion & Ethics

There is a certain expression that anyone who has ever been in a classroom will recognize. It appears when a student encounters something really difficult—a text that won’t budge, a problem that defies an obvious solution, an argument that defies clear logic. It is an expression of discomfort, sometimes frustration, occasionally something approaching despair. And it may be one of the most important things a teacher will ever see. Because that moment, as uncomfortable as it may be, is often the moment where real learning begins.

The increasing use of AI in schools and universities promises to make these moments rarer. A student can ask a chatbot to summarize a difficult reading, explain a concept, or transform a rough idea into sophisticated prose. The appeal is also obvious for teachers. AI can help create materials, provide feedback, and reduce some of the administrative burden that burdens educational life.

So the question is not whether AI can be used in education. It does. The…