Half of Canadian students say their critical thinking has slipped, while 72% of educators call AI-assisted schoolwork cheating
Critical thinking skills have deteriorated for 51 percent of Canadian students since they began using generative artificial intelligence (AI) for schoolwork, and 69 percent believe their peers rely on AI to avoid critical thinking altogether.
Among educators, 89 percent told KPMG Canada that students may be developing problematic habits without proper guidance.
Three-quarters of Canadian students use generative AI tools in their schoolwork, according to the KPMG Canada survey, while 59 percent of educators do not believe Canada's education system is adequately preparing students for a future where AI is a standard workplace tool.
Formal instruction reaches just over half.
KPMG Canada reports 53 percent of students have received formal instruction on how to use AI responsibly for academic work, and 46 percent of educators agree students are currently receiving enough education about responsible AI use at their institution.
Many students already treat AI as familiar as a search engine or calculator for assignments, said Rob Clayton, partner and national education practice leader at KPMG Canada.
Clayton said "adoption happened faster than building the systems needed to teach students how to use these tools responsibly," and that students need to know when to rely on their own judgment, analysis, and critical thinking.
Demand for instruction runs on both sides of the desk, with 79 percent of educators saying students should be explicitly taught responsible and ethical AI use and 70 percent of students calling for more courses on how to use generative AI, as per KPMG Canada's findings.
Students carry classroom behaviours into the workplace, said Jameel Ahamed, partner and national leader of data platforms and AI at KPMG Canada.
Ahamed said institutions "need to find new ways to challenge students" to support their ideas, analyze complex problems, and apply independent judgment.
Seventy-seven percent of educators say the technology has caused them to change how they assess student learning outcomes and respondents told the firm that AI creates academic integrity challenges that are difficult to manage.
The two groups split on acceptable use.
KPMG Canada's survey puts the share of educators who consider using generative AI to assist with schoolwork a form of cheating at 72 percent, against 50 percent of students, and 67 percent of students say they would question the result if their instructor used AI to grade their assignment.
Nearly one quarter of students pay to access AI tools for schoolwork, and almost half believe students who pay gain an academic advantage over those who do not.
Concern about unequal access to AI tools and training creating educational inequities runs at 84 percent among educators.
"AI has the potential to make learning more personalized and accessible, but only if schools establish clear guidelines and policies that ensure everyone has the opportunity to benefit from these tools," Clayton said in the release.
