AI in Irish universities: Are students losing the ability to think for themselves?

Artificial intelligence is here to stay, but a growing worry is whether the next generation of leaders and innovators can still think for themselves. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US have warned that students there are increasingly feeling the effects of over-reliance on AI, a trend they describe as cognitive surrender.

An MIT report has sounded alarms for educators, noting that available technology has caused major shifts in campus culture, isolating students who spend less time on campus and abandon communal studying. Early signals suggest that overreliance on chatbots can diminish critical thinking, weaken memory, erode confidence, and undermine mastery of subjects.

In December 2025, Ireland's Higher Education Authority published a framework on the responsible adoption of generative AI, which third-level institutions are now working to implement. With AI proficiency becoming a requirement for many graduates and the risk of academic cheating ever present, how are Irish universities and their students navigating this new landscape?

How are students using AI on campus?

Since ChatGPT's release in 2022, programmes like Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and Claude have become everyday tools for students managing heavy workloads. Students at the University of Galway shared their experiences with RTÉ's Morning Ireland.

One male student admitted:

I'd probably use it every day, like definitely for college work, probably every module, nearly every class.

For one female student, AI's ability to ease a mounting workload is particularly appealing:

Sometimes I do use it to summarise like books and let's say like stuff on our reading list. I'd use it to summarise everything into key points.

Attitudes vary across campus, as another male student explained:

In some lectures we're told to use AI or promoted to use it, in other lectures some of the lecturers are kind of anti-AI.

A Marine Science student believes some are overusing the helping hand of AI:

I wouldn't really use it for most things, but maybe if I needed help on something... You know, a lot of people use it for like... copy and paste and the whole shebang, but I wouldn't be for that anyway.

What happens when students misuse AI?

While many students use generative AI for research, some have crossed the line into academic dishonesty. During the 2025/26 academic year, almost 600 third-level students across 12 Irish institutions were found to have inappropriately used AI. At the University of Galway alone, there were 138 cases of deliberate unauthorised use and 33 instances of inadvertent breaches.

Dr Justin Tonra, Academic Integrity Officer at the University of Galway and Deputy Chair of the National Academic Integrity Network, said the shift is changing how assessments work:

It doesn't necessarily mean that these unsupervised assessments are no longer viable, but the real challenge is that these types of assessment can no longer be used for high stakes.

He added:

So instead of them being 60, 70, 80% of a module's grade, it might move to a smaller percentage of the assessment and then the process elements where you can observe the student's work, those become more valuable in awarding grades.

Are oral exams making a comeback?

The need to protect critical thinking is also reshaping disciplines where AI is central to the curriculum. Professor Michael Madden, Chair of the Artificial Intelligence Association of Ireland, explained the approach at the University of Galway:

Even where students are allowed to use AI, we have to take a policy of, okay, so you've used AI, but you still are the owner of the outputs and you still need to be able to explain everything that you're submitting.

He noted a return to traditional methods:

We've increased our amount of oral assessments tied in with assignments where we hold brief interviews with students to ask them to explain their work.

Professor Madden acknowledged the irony:

It is somewhat ironic that we have to go back to sort of old-fashioned techniques of oral assessments and paper-based exams in order to overcome integrity risks.

What do employers expect from graduates?

With AI impacting both the university experience and available roles, preparing graduates for tomorrow's workplace is changing too. Marie Laffey, Head of the Career Development Centre at the University of Galway, said:

We see a need from employers that are looking for AI capability. It is a balance and particularly employers are still looking for the human skills.

She added:

They're looking for the critical thinking, the leadership, teamwork, most importantly communication, being able to adapt, be curious, but alongside I suppose the digital literacy and AI capability and that the expectation is that they will be working alongside AI.

However, Galway Chamber CEO Karen Ronan believes the cost of AI reliance is showing up in the workplace:

When they get into a work environment, they need to have interpersonal skills. They need to be able to network, they need to be able to negotiate and often we're not seeing those skills actually transfer into the workplace.

She explained:

But those are skills that historically a lot of people would have arrived into the workplace with because they would have been involved in maybe project work or liaising more with their student counterparts. That's not happening to the same degree. So the onus is now on the employer to be able to provide those skills. And they are skills you can learn, but that has a cost associated with it.

Can students still learn the fundamentals?

For Dr Tonra and his fellow educators, the challenge continues.

Even though graduates of higher education may at some point be in a profession where they're using AI, they still need to know the fundamental knowledge of their field. So, they will need to know whether an AI's content is accurate or whether an AI is doing what it should be doing in a given field. And they can only know that if they themselves understand those fundamental skills and knowledge of that field.

The balance between embracing AI and preserving human intellect is delicate. As Irish institutions adapt, one thing is clear: the future depends on graduates who can work with AI, not surrender to it.

Frequently asked questions about AI in Irish universities

How many Irish students were caught using AI inappropriately?

Almost 600 third-level students across 12 higher education institutions in Ireland were found to have inappropriately used AI during the 2025/26 academic year.

What is cognitive surrender?

Cognitive surrender is a term used by MIT researchers to describe the over-reliance on AI technology, leading to diminished critical thinking, weakened memory, and eroded confidence in students.

Are universities changing how they assess students because of AI?

Yes, some courses are moving back towards oral assessments and paper-based exams, and reducing the weight of unsupervised assessments in final grades.