In the current educational debate, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is frequently lauded as a revolutionary tool for promoting individual learning processes. Adaptive systems are intended to help children and adolescents learn more efficiently and with greater motivation. However, these aspirations overlook a fundamental psychological premise: cognitive competence arises not through access to answers, but through 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲.
Children and adolescents are in a crucial phase of cognitive development. Psychology describes that executive functions, working memory, problem-solving skills, and metacognitive control only develop through active engagement with cognitive challenges. The acquisition of thinking ability is not a passive transfer process but a formative process involving errors, doubts, detours, and cognitive effort.
This is precisely where AI can be potentially dysfunctional. Studies indicate that AI-powered tools like ChatGPT are particularly used when the mental effort is to be avoided. The illusion of understanding through consumed answers does not replace the constructive process of thinking but undermines it. A meta-analysis on the learning effectiveness of generative AI revealed positive effects on short-term learning performance; however, data on the long-term development of cognitive autonomy was lacking. Crucially, children become accustomed to no longer thinking through questions themselves but to retrieving automated answers. The consequence is an 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, thereby weakening self-efficacy and cognitive identity.
Additionally, AI cannot convey semantic depth but merely imitates pattern recognition. The development of conceptual structures (a central goal of school education) falls behind when answers are only syntactically coherent but not epistemically elaborated. Especially for children, there is a risk that they cannot distinguish between real understanding and convincing simulation. This not only poses the risk of misconceptions but also reinforces an epistemic nihilism: when all answers are equally readily available, the pursuit of truth loses significance.
AI can support learning processes but cannot replace them. In the sensitive phase of childhood and adolescent development, the use of generative systems can foster cognitive inertia, undermine self-regulation, and externalize thinking processes. Cognitive competence grows through irritation, exploration, and self-activity, not through the consumption of pre-formulated answers.
Educational policy and pedagogical practice must therefore develop and apply well-founded concepts before a magnificent tool becomes a mental crutch.
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