The ethical use of AI in education

A student submits a flawless essay. The grammar is perfect, the argument is clear, and the references look convincing. There is only one problem: the student did not write it, and perhaps did not even understand it.
This is one of the biggest questions artificial intelligence (AI) has brought into education. The issue is no longer whether students and teachers will use AI. They already do. The real question is how we can use it without losing the purpose of education.
Education is not simply about finding the right answer. It is about learning how to think, question, analyse, communicate and make informed decisions. AI can explain difficult concepts, summarise information, generate ideas, write essays and even suggest research questions. Used properly, it can be a powerful learning assistant. Used carelessly, it can become a substitute for learning.
Consider a student struggling with a difficult economic concept. Asking AI to explain it in simpler language or provide examples can support learning. Asking AI to write the entire assignment and submitting it as the student's own work is fundamentally different. In the first case, AI supports intellectual effort. In the second, it can remove that effort.
This distinction matters because some of the most valuable learning happens when things are difficult. Writing an argument, solving a problem, making mistakes and trying again take time, but they develop skills that cannot simply be outsourced to a machine. If students routinely hand over the difficult parts of thinking to AI, they may finish their work faster while learning less.
There is also another problem: AI can be confidently wrong. It may provide inaccurate information, misunderstand context, reproduce bias or generate references that do not exist. This makes critical thinking more important, not less.
Students must learn to ask where information comes from, whether evidence is reliable, what assumptions are being made and whether a conclusion actually follows from the evidence.
AI also challenges how universities assess learning. If a machine can produce a polished essay in seconds, an assignment alone may not always demonstrate what a student actually knows. Universities may therefore need to make greater use of presentations, discussions, problem-solving exercises, and opportunities for students to explain and defend their work.
But the answer is not simply to ban AI.
Students will graduate into workplaces where AI is likely to be part of everyday professional life. They need to understand how to use it effectively and responsibly. The goal should be responsible use rather than unrestricted use or complete prohibition.
This requires clear expectations. Students should know when AI can be used and when its use should be disclosed. Teachers need appropriate assessment practices, and researchers must remain responsible for the accuracy, originality and integrity of their work, regardless of whether AI was involved.
There are wider ethical concerns as well, including privacy, data protection, intellectual property, bias and authorship. These issues all point to one principle: AI does not remove human responsibility. If an AI-generated answer is wrong, the responsibility for using it still rests with the person who accepted it.
For Oman, this discussion is particularly relevant as the country advances its digital transformation and adoption of AI. Universities have an important role in preparing graduates not only to use new technologies, but also to understand their limitations and ethical responsibilities.
The success of AI in education should therefore not be measured by how many students use it. It should be measured by whether it helps them learn more, think better and make better decisions.
AI will change education. But education should not become a race to produce answers faster than machines. Its deeper purpose is to develop people who can ask better questions, challenge information, understand evidence and take responsibility for their decisions.
The future of education may depend less on whether we use AI and more on whether we know when to use it, how to use it, and when to think for ourselves.

SYED MUJAHID HUSSAIN The writer is Associate Professor with Sultan Qaboos University