Indonesian university study finds 74% of statistics students addicted to AI

A recent study at Universitas Airlangga (Unair) in Indonesia has revealed a startling dependency on artificial intelligence among Statistics students, with 74% admitting to relying heavily on AI for their project assignments. The research, conducted by Marisa Rifada and her colleagues, surveyed 119 students from the 2023-2025 cohorts, employing a systematic random sampling method.

The findings indicate a worrying trend where a significant majority of students turn to AI for immediate answers rather than engaging with the material first. This reliance manifests in several ways: AI becomes the primary source for initial task completion, students experience a loss of confidence when working without AI, and assignments are finished quickly but without deep comprehension. AI is also being used extensively in data analysis, report writing, and presentations.

Researchers identified key signs of this academic addiction, including AI being the first point of reference, a decline in self-confidence without AI assistance, superficial understanding of complex topics, and the use of AI for data processing and final report preparation. The study's margin of error is a low 6.44%, indicating high accuracy in its findings.

While acknowledging AI's potential as a collaborative tool, as suggested by Prof. Chakraborty in the context of Education 5.0, the Unair study highlights a deviation from this ideal. Instead of a partner, AI is increasingly becoming a substitute for genuine learning. The ease of obtaining answers from AI bypasses the struggle of understanding concepts, leading to quick task completion but a lack of meaningful knowledge acquisition.

The research team recommends a balanced approach, suggesting students use AI for initial reference gathering rather than seeking direct answers. They also emphasize the importance of gradually building independence by completing tasks without AI and strengthening self-understanding. This "AI Literacy" emergency call aims to address the potential erosion of critical thinking, creativity, and independent learning skills among students.

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AI should be a collaborative partner for humans, not a replacement.