AI Usage Dependency on Students Before and After Covid Pandemic

Abstract

The fast growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has greatly changed how education works, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.  This study looks at how students' use of AI tools for learning languages changed before and after the pandemic.  Using a research method that focuses on numbers, information was collected through questionnaires given to 15 students in Purwokerto. The results showed that before the pandemic, 86.7% of students had used AI tools, with 73.3% using translation tools and 20% using grammar checkers. However, this use was still supplementary. After the pandemic, usage increased to 93.3%. There was a significant increase in the use of advanced tools such as ChatGPT (60%), Grammarly (53.3%), QuillBot (46.7%), and Google Translate (73.3%). As many as 53.3% of those questioned felt they were becoming more dependent on AI, and 66.7% believed AI helped them learn on their own. However, 20% felt that this dependence actually interfered with their ability to learn independently. This study shows that the pandemic has changed the use of AI (artificial intelligence) from being just a tool to an essential part of learning. If not used wisely, this can result in a decline in critical thinking skills and independence. This reliance raises worries about how well students think and whether they are being honest in their studies.  The results highlight how important it is to use AI in a way that helps learners improve their language skills instead of taking over that process and gave big impact on the students’ dependency in learning language.