“What Am I Really Doing with My Own Brain?”: College Students on Learning, Ownership, and AI

Generative artificial intelligence gives college students new ways to support their learning, while also raising questions about what they still want to learn and do for themselves. This qualitative study draws on semi-structured interviews with 14 undergraduates at a Northeastern liberal arts college to examine how students distinguish between AI use that supports their own thinking and AI use that substitutes for it, what they believe is worth doing on their own, and whether and how purpose enters their reasoning about learning and AI use. Using the Framework Method with a cross-case matrix to compare patterns across participants and topics, we found that students repeatedly drew a line between using AI as a supportive tool and letting it take the place of their own thinking or authorship. Students most often talked about wanting to keep developing their own skills, thinking independently, and knowing what they could actually do without AI. They also wanted the work to still feel “like theirs,” citing ownership, pride, authenticity, and ethical concerns. Students also described pressures that made AI appealing, including heavy workloads, deadlines, grades, convenience, and concerns about falling behind their peers. Although few participants explicitly connected their AI choices to a stated purpose, many described concerns that may be relevant to purpose development, including developing valued skills and strengths, acting on personal values, and becoming the kind of person they hoped to be. We consider these concerns through a purpose-mindset framework while distinguishing our interpretation from participants’ own explanations of their AI choices. The findings suggest that understanding students’ AI use requires attention to what they believe they need to learn and do for themselves.