AI AND THE DYING ART OF CRITICAL RESEARCH BY_ KAREEM ABAYOMI ADIO
Fifteen years ago before AI tools became commonplace in Nigeria, conducting research required considerable effort. Students had to consult different materials, read extensively, take notes, compare information and organise their findings into a coherent piece of writing. Some have to go from one library to another to gather information for their research. Online resources such as Google and Wikipedia made information more accessible, but finding the right information and turning it into meaningful work remained the student's responsibility.
Today, the experience is different. A university student can enter an assignment question into an AI tool and receive a ready answer in seconds. What might previously have required hours of searching, reading and note-taking can now be produced with a single prompt. This development presents enormous opportunities for learning, but it also raises an important question: are we becoming better researchers, or are we simply becoming better at obtaining answers?
For Nigerian university students, conducting academic research can present several practical challenges. Access to relevant textbooks and journals may be limited, depending on the institution and subject area. Some students depend heavily on online materials because they cannot easily obtain the physical resources they need. Others have to contend with the cost of internet data, unreliable network connections, limited study time and competing academic responsibilities.
These challenges are real considerations when discussing the growing use of AI in higher education. A student who struggles to find relevant materials may understandably welcome a tool that can explain a complex concept, suggest search terms or provide an initial overview of a topic without having to go through the rigorous process of sourcing for relevant materials.
However, convenience can also influence how students approach their assignments. Faced with multiple deadlines and demanding coursework, a student may be tempted to submit an AI-generated response without reading widely, checking the claims or developing an independent understanding of the subject. The immediate objective becomes completing the assignment and fulfilling all righteousness rather than learning from it.
Meanwhile, research involves more than finding an answer to a question. It requires identifying a problem, gathering relevant information, evaluating sources, examining different perspectives and arriving at a reasoned conclusion. An answer may be grammatically correct, well organised and sounds convincing without being accurate, sufficiently developed or appropriate to the question being asked.
The danger, therefore, is not necessarily the use of AI itself. It is the possibility that students may become so dependent on ready-made answers that they neglect the intellectual process through which understanding is developed.
One of the advantages of the internet is the abundance of information available to anyone with a connected device. Yet the availability of information does not automatically translate into knowledge. A person may have access to thousands of PDFs and articles without understanding the subject they discuss. And frankly speaking, many students do not make their access to the Internet count at all. They only browse junk and consume content that adds no value to them rather than making intentional and meaningful use of the Internet for personal and academic growth.
They engaged artificial intelligence the same way. AI tools can generate explanations, suggest arguments, summarise lengthy materials and help users organise their thoughts. Nevertheless, their responses require verification and evaluation. They can produce inaccurate claims, present misleading explanations and sometimes invent references that appear credible.
A student who copies an answer without verification may unknowingly submit false information. This is particularly concerning when an assignment requires academic sources, evidence or references to previous studies.
There have been instances where students copied everything an AI tool generated for an assignment, including the original prompt and the AI's comments at the end of the response, and submitted it without cross-checking, or even reading through the content carefully. Such instances reveal how the convenience of AI can encourage some students to prioritise completing assignments over understanding what they are expected to learn.
Beyond the embarrassment of submitting an obviously AI-generated response and also demonstrating their level of ignorance, the more significant concern is what this practice says about the research process. If a student cannot identify errors and unwanted materials in an assignment submitted, not to talk of understanding the argument presented in it, to what extent has the student benefited from the exercise?
For this reason, students must learn to cross-check the accuracy, credibility and relevance of the information they receive from AI tools or any other sources.
As a matter of fact, university education should not merely equip students to gather information. It should help them develop the ability to assess it, interpret it and use it responsibly.
There is a difference between using a tool to support one's thinking and allowing that tool to do all the thinking. A student who uses AI to simplify a difficult concept, identify relevant search terms or review an initial draft may benefit from the experience. The student still has to understand the material, determine what is relevant and decide how to present the argument.
Conversely, a student who submits an AI-generated essay without engaging with its contents may complete the task without developing the knowledge or skills the assignment was intended to assess.
This distinction matters because academic assignments serve purposes beyond having good grades. They are designed to help students learn beyond the information provided in the classroom, develop the ability to find and verify facts on a topic, construct arguments, support claims with evidence, identify weaknesses in reasoning and communicate complex ideas clearly. These skills are useful not only in examinations but also in professional life, where people are expected to analyse problems, make decisions and explain their reasoning.
If a student therefore skips or cheats the process for the sake of convenience, you can imagine the kind of people that would be in the labour market and professional spaces in the near future: people without a mind of their own who lack the ability to think critically.
Moreover, the emergence of AI does not make traditional libraries or online academic resources irrelevant. Rather, these resources can complement one another.
Libraries provide access to books, journals and other materials that support sustained reading and academic investigation. Online databases and reputable websites such as Google Scholar, Research Gate, Scrib, Academia.edu, Jstor, among others allow students to locate information and access materials beyond their immediate environment. AI tools can assist with understanding unfamiliar concepts, giving hints on key terms to search for, organising preliminary ideas and identifying areas that require further investigation.
The most productive approach is not necessarily to choose one source over another. It is to understand what each resource can offer and where its limitations lie.
For example, a student researching the influence of social media on language use might begin by using AI to brainstorm, identify possible areas of investigation. The student could then consult academic journals, relevant books and credible online sources to examine the subject more thoroughly. By comparing the information gathered, evaluating the evidence and developing an independent argument, the student can use technology without surrendering responsibility for the final work to AI.
This approach also highlights the importance of foundational research skills. Students need to know how to search effectively, recognise credible sources, take useful notes, organise information and reference materials appropriately. Without these skills, they may struggle to determine whether an AI-generated response is reliable or not.
Furthermore, the growing use of AI also raises questions about academic integrity. Students need to understand the difference between using a tool as a learning aid and presenting work they have not meaningfully produced or understood as their own.
AI use does not automatically make every piece of writing fake or dishonest. Its acceptability depends partly on the purpose of the task, the universities' rules or AI policies and the way the tool is used. Where an institution requires students to disclose AI assistance or prohibits certain forms of use, those requirements should be respected.
Students should also recognise that submitting an assignment is not merely an exercise in satisfying a lecturer's requirements. It is an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of a subject. A well-presented essay has limited educational value if the student cannot explain its argument or defend the conclusions it reaches.
Universities, in turn, have a role to play in helping students understand responsible AI use. Universities should have policies on AI usage. Clear guidelines, appropriate assessment methods and opportunities to demonstrate understanding can help institutions respond to the technology without ignoring its potential benefits. Lecturers can also guide students towards credible academic resources and explain how AI may be used appropriately within their courses.
The objective should not be to discourage every use of AI but to ensure that technology supports learning rather than undermines it.
Interestingly, technology has undoubtedly made information more accessible and transformed the research process. Tasks that once required considerable time can now be completed more quickly, allowing students to devote more attention to analysis, interpretation and the development of ideas. However, speed should not be confused with depth, and convenience should not be mistaken for understanding.
Therefore, the responsibility for producing credible, relevant and meaningful academic work remains with the researcher. Whether information is obtained from a library, a website or an AI tool, it must be examined critically before it is accepted and used.
For Nigerian university students, the challenge is to take advantage of technological progress while developing the intellectual discipline that education requires. AI can help explain concepts, suggest approaches and improve the research process, but students must remain active participants in their own learning.
Ultimately, the art of research is not just the ability to find answers. It is the ability to ask meaningful questions, examine evidence, recognise weaknesses in an argument and arrive at conclusions that can be justified.
AI can enhance research and writing. However, learning how to think critically, evaluate information and distinguishing a high sounding content from a rich and credible writing that is worth reading remains our responsibility.
©KAREEM ABAYOMI ADIO
-Nigeria.
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