The use of artificial intelligence in teaching programming to students

In the context of rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into all spheres, including education, understanding its impact on the learning process, especially in the field of programming, is of paramount importance. The aim of this paper was to identify and evaluate the impact of AI on the formation of students’ programming competences and to develop recommendations for optimising its application in the academic environment. The study was conducted using empirical methods, including anonymous questionnaire survey of second-year students of two leading universities. The study found that 100% of surveyed students actively used AI in the learning process, with a significant majority (78.5%) regularly interacting with AI applications, indicating a high degree of dependence, exacerbated by insufficient fundamental training and limited access to paid resources. It was found that students often perceive AI outputs uncritically and tend to focus on getting ready-made code without delving into understanding the algorithms, potentially leading to a loss of autonomy and errors. Despite these challenges, AI is showing significant benefits such as personalising learning, increasing efficiency and engagement, positioning itself as a powerful support tool for educators. The data obtained also indicate insufficient differentiation of the concepts of “AI” and “neural networks” among the respondents, which emphasises the need for deeper theoretical training and development of analytical skills. The results of the study provided valuable information for teachers and educational programme developers, allowing them to adjust approaches to teaching programming, to strengthen the emphasis on critical thinking and independence, and to develop methods for effective integration of AI into the educational process, taking into account its advantages and limitations