University of San Carlos

Department of Political Science

Chat, can you write this for me?

A commentary on the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in
the Academe

Submitted by:
VILLAMERO, Zenith Marie

Submitted to:
Joeddin Niño Olayvar, MAPS
PEL 3116 - Current Events
Learning Instructor

May 2025
Chat, can you to keep afloat. Some thrive and survive

write this for

each challenge given to them, but some
succumb to the pressure and turn to

me? Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) to

lessen the load.
A commentary on the use of Generative
Artificial Intelligence in the Academe

By Zenith Marie Villamero

Who are we chatting
with?
Contents Artificial Intelligence or AI refers
to machines and computer programs
Introduction........................... designed to perform tasks usually
......1 requiring human intelligence, this
What are we dealing
with?.........1 includes problem solving, language
How much is too processing, and decision making. A
much?.............2
Not at 100% known subtype of AI is Generative AI,
Fault........................4 one that is able to produce new content
Hate the Sin, not the
Sinner.......5 including text, images, and audio
designed to be human-like.

ChatGPT is among the most

prominent chatbots on the Internet and
Introduction is largely accessible through Safari,
Firefox, and Chrome, both on desktop
A study finds that Filipino
and mobile. It is powered by a large
students spend an average of 55 hours
language model (LLM) and can generate
per week attending classes and doing
human-like responses about various
academic tasks even at home,
topics.
overworked compared to other countries
in Southeast Asia (Hachero, 2024). We
are expected to juggle multiple subjects What are we dealing
with its own set of requirements every
day. With every Canvas tab and every
with?
Academic stress is caused by the
Google Classroom assignment passed,
constant pressure of pursuing an
another replaces it soon after. A
academic goal. It can trigger
repeating cycle of rinse and repeat just

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psychological and behavioral issues in
How much is too much?
students. In a study conducted by Zhang
A survey by BestColleges
et al., students highlighted the negative
participated by 1,000 respondents who
association of academic stress and
were currently enrolled in
academic self-efficacy, a decrease of
undergraduate or graduate degree
efficacy entails an increase of academic
programs. Results showed that 56% of
stress.
the students have used AI for
assignments and exams. These students
Teenage depression can also be
also have varying opinions on the use of
predicted from academic and familial
AI, with 54% saying that using it on
stress that leads to poor academic
schoolwork and exams counts as
performance. More academic stress is
cheating (Nam, 2023).
also linked not only to school burnout
but also depression, anxiety, behavioral
On the other hand, a survey done
difficulties, and irritability (Deng et al.,
by the Center for Digital Thriving and
2022).
Project Zero done on more than 1,200
teens from ages 13 to 17 from the report
Zhang et al. also utilizes Stress-
entitled Teen and Young Adult
coping theory in explaining how
Perspectives on Generative AI,revealed
students tend to use Generative AI to
that 53% of teens admitted to using
cope with academic stress. According to
generative A.I., and that 51% used A.I.
the theory, individuals under stress also
for information and brainstorming. In
find ways to cope with such but can also
the same survey teens share that
give rise to ineffective coping
Generative AI helps their creative
mechanisms. Generative AI provides
expression, with 31% of teens ages 14 -
students with quick and accessible
22 say that they use Generative AI to
answers which can reduce academic
create images, 16% use it to create
stress and alleviate other psychological
sounds or music, and 15% use it to write
problems that can improve mental
code. However, teens also stressed the
health. Ultimately, this also leads to
potential role of AI in bullying using
students’ overattachment to AI and may
deep fake software or using someone’s
become dependent on it.
features like their voice and face to
make it appear that they are doing
something they did not in fact do

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(Harvard Graduate School of Education, teachers for assistance in school,
2024). students may prefer the efficiency and
less time-consuming choice of using
The thought of leaving it all to an Generative AI for feedback.
AI to do all our work for us might sound
tempting but it also has its share of Lastly, the ethical and data
challenges. The use of Generative AI is a security concerns due to an increased
growing phenomenon in schools risk of information leakage. ChatGPT,
especially due to its versatility. One of one of the more known examples of
its uses is being able to generate Generative AI Chatbots, generates
articles, papers, and essays information that can be used to model
automatically from a single prompt. feedback and information and increases
However, this convenience also comes the risks of information leakage
with the possible substitution of between teachers and students.
original ideas and a decline in academic Moreover, ChatGPT being developed by
integrity. Students may prefer to copy- a United States based company may
paste the generated content and rely on contain biases due to the differences of
such instead of thinking for themselves nationality, lifestyles, and beliefs across
and researching (Jiayu, 2023). countries which can influence students’
Furthermore, detecting academic values (Jiayu, 2023).
misconduct has also become more
challenging, pointed out by other These sentiments are supported
studies by how AI and plagiarism in the study of Monib et al. where a
detectors also have significant margins thematic analysis was conducted
of error with false positive and false regarding the challenges of Generative
negative detection (Monib et al., 2024). AI in education. It resulted in six (6)
overarching categories namely:
Secondly, the use of Generative plagiarism, responsibility and
AI also challenges the traditional accountability, concerns on privacy, loss
knowledge-centric approach in of soft skills, and discrimination and
teaching, instead of relying on bias. These concerns were derived from
instructors’ expertise, Generative AI can overlapping studies on higher
automatically recommend personalized education, research and writing, etc.
learning methods for individuals.
Furthermore, instead of consulting

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 In addition to the polarizing intersecting social identities of
opinions regarding generative AI, individuals pertaining to their race,
students are also reported to suggest gender, class, disability, religion, or age
using such in creating plagiarism that influence our experiences. If we
reports before submitting online cannot stop the use of Generative AI
projects and exams. However, this software, then the least it can do is
sentiment was outweighed by a number improve itself. Applying
of responses that state that even such Intersectionality, Generative AI would
feature requires caution due to concerns then lessen or cease to perpetuate
regarding its accuracy. ChatGPT for biases. Furthermore, there should be
example can sometimes be inaccurate constant mechanisms in monitoring its
when summarizing an article, make performance in achieving its objectives,
mistakes in its references, and show ensuring that it generates responses of
bias. Ultimately, the research good quality and without bias. In
demonstrated that schools should co- connection to such, Generative AI
create AI policies with its students should always be up-to-date with its
(Johnston et al., 2024). information as it is crucial to its
accuracy.
Not at 100% Fault
On the other hand, we recognize
The theoretical lenses that can be
that the status quo calls for its own
applied to this phenomenon has two
review, with the need to point out the
sides: One that views AI on a positive
circumstances that lead to students
note that also acknowledges that it
turning to AI for their academic work.
needs improvement and the other
Social Constructivism, derived from
pointing out the environment that
constructivism, emphasizes social
perpetuates its use despite the concerns
interaction as a means for learning and
and issues that arose in recent times.
asserts that students extract knowledge
more through interacting with others.
In the fight for a more ethical and
This can shed light on how education
inclusive use of Generative AI, its
can improve on how students learn in
systems should produce more accurate
school and how they can showcase such
and unbiased output derived from more
other than passing outputs. Another
high-quality and diverse data. Kimberlé
theory that supports this notion is
Crenshaw’s Intersectionality theory
Connectivism by George Siemens and
acknowledges the multiple and

5
Stephen Downes, which states that with great responsibility and we are yet
society is changing rapidly and is to arrive to a point where the use of
becoming more complex as more Generative AI is truly safe and
connections are created through varying beneficial.
complex ideas and that knowledge is
derived from multiple opinions.
Individuals do not have control on
present reality but can create
connections based on the new sources of
information they can reach which also
influences their decisions. Ultimately,
knowledge is seen as a database that the
individual contributes to in a continues
cycle of knowledge growth (Duke et al.,
2013) .

Hate the Sin, Not the

Sinner
One thing is clear based on
various literature and no matter how
many thousands of students will be
surveyed, the continuous rise of the use
of Generative AI use in the Academe is
inevitable. However, to say that schools
should ban it altogether does not truly
address the issues that push students to
use it in the first place. It has also casted
a looking glass on areas for
improvement for education. To
conclude, the rise of Generative AI
reminds us that change is inevitable in
these fast changing world especially
with all the improvements discovered in
technology. However, with power comes

6
 Nurture what is good, regulate
what is harmful. Until then, it should be
remembered that Generative AI can
never replace the genius that comes
from the human mind especially from
the future generations that are currently
being nurtured in the four corners of our
classrooms.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Deng, Y., Cherian, J., Khan, N. U. N., Kumari, K., Sial, M. S., Comite, U.,

Gavurova, B., & Popp, J. (2022). Family and academic stress and their impact on

students’ depression level and academic performance. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.869337

Duke, B., Harper, G., & Johnston, M. (2013). Connectivism as a digital age

learning theory. The International HETL Review. Special Issue 2013 (pp. 4-13)

Hachero, A. (2024, November 25). Pinoy senior high students overworked compared to

Southeast Asia counterparts - Malaya Business Insight. Malaya Business Insight.

https://malaya.com.ph/news/national-news/pinoy-senior-high-students-

overworked-compared-to-southeast-asia-counterparts/

Harvard Graduate School of Education. (2024, September 10). Students are using

AI already. Here’s what they think adults should know.

https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/24/09/students-are-using-ai-

already-heres-what-they-think-adults-should-know

Johnston, H., Wells, R. F., Shanks, E. M., Boey, T., & Parsons, B. N. (2024).

Student perspectives on the use of generative artificial intelligence technologies

in higher education. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 20(1).

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-024-00149-4

Jiayu, Y. (2023). Challenges and Opportunities of Generative Artificial

intelligence in Higher Education Student Educational Management. Advances in

Educational Technology and Psychology, 7(9).

https://doi.org/10.23977/aetp.2023.070914

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Monib, W. K., Qazi, A., Apong, R. A., Azizan, M. T., De Silva, L., & Yassin, H.

(2024). Generative AI and future education: a review, theoretical validation, and

authors’ perspective on challenges and solutions. PeerJ Computer Science, 10,

e2105. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj-cs.2105

Nam, J. (2023, November 22). 56% of college students have used AI on

assignments or exams. BestColleges.com.

https://www.bestcolleges.com/research/most-college-students-have-used-ai-

survey/

Zhang, S., Zhao, X., Zhou, T., & Kim, J. H. (2024). Do you have AI dependency?

The roles of academic self-efficacy, academic stress, and performance

expectations on problematic AI usage behavior. International Journal of

Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21(1).

https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-024-00467-0