ChatGPT Has Been My Tutor for the Last Year. I Still Have Concerns.


In a cozy, slightly cluttered student bedroom at night, a young female student sits on the floor with her laptop and books, looking pensively at a glowing holographic interface displaying "CHRONOS AI - Your Personal Learning Hub," showing a tutor avatar, progress, and various metrics. In the window behind her, a shadowy, horned monster with red eyes ominously peers in, symbolizing underlying concerns despite the AI's utility. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.
While ChatGPT has served as a personal tutor for many students over the past year, its pervasive integration into learning also brings forth lingering concerns. This image captures a student’s thoughtful yet wary engagement with an AI tutor, visually juxtaposing its apparent utility with an ominous background figure, representing the unresolved anxieties about AI’s deeper implications for education and personal development. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.

Source

The Harvard Crimson

Summary

Harvard student Sandhya Kumar reflects on a year of using ChatGPT as a learning companion, noting both its benefits and the university’s inconsistent response to generative AI. While ChatGPT has become a common study aid for debugging, essay support, and brainstorming, unclear academic guidelines have led to confusion about acceptable use. Some professors ban AI entirely, while others encourage it, leaving students without a shared framework for responsible integration. Kumar argues that rather than restricting AI, universities should teach AI literacy—helping students understand when and how to use these tools thoughtfully to enhance learning, not replace it.

Key Points

  • AI tools like ChatGPT are now embedded in student life and coursework.
  • Harvard’s response to AI use remains fragmented across departments.
  • Students face unclear ethical and authorship boundaries when using AI.
  • The author calls for structured AI literacy education rather than bans.
  • Thoughtful engagement with AI requires defined boundaries and shared guidance.

Keywords

URL

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/10/7/kumar-harvard-chatgpt-tutor/

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5