Artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT could transform education across Africa, but excessive reliance on them may weaken students’ critical thinking and independent learning skills, according to Senior AI and Cybersecurity Researcher Daniel Jeremiah.

Speaking to Naa Oyoe Quartey on Global South World, Jeremiah explained that Large Language Models (LLMs) could help address learning challenges, support teachers and provide personalised education. However, he warned that students who depend on AI to complete assignments without understanding the content risk losing essential learning skills.

He said the concern was not necessarily how frequently students used AI but whether they allowed the technology to replace their own reasoning.

AI and the Risk of Losing Critical Thinking Skills

Jeremiah cited research involving nearly 1,000 secondary school mathematics students, which examined how AI-assisted learning affected academic performance.

According to him, students using a standard ChatGPT-based interface improved their performance during assisted practice exercises by 40%. However, when AI access was removed, they performed 17% worse than students who had never received AI assistance.

He explained that the findings demonstrated the difference between completing tasks with AI support and developing independent understanding.

“Assisted performance is what a student can produce while using the tool. Learning is what the student understands, retains, and can apply when the tool is unavailable or wrong.”

Jeremiah also shared his experience with students who previously demonstrated strong research and reasoning abilities but had increasingly begun depending on ChatGPT.

He warned that allowing AI to handle every academic task could gradually affect students’ ability to analyse information independently.

He recommended that schools establish clear policies that encourage students to use AI for assistance rather than allowing it to complete their work. 

Can AI Address Africa ’s Teacher Shortage?

Despite these concerns, Jeremiah acknowledged that AI could help African schools manage shortages of teachers, textbooks and other educational resources.

UNESCO estimated that sub-Saharan Africa would need approximately 15 million additional teachers by 2030 to meet educational needs.

Jeremiah said AI could help teachers prepare lesson plans, develop quizzes, translate educational materials and provide explanations suited to different learning abilities.

The Cybersecurity Researcher  said, “My short answer is yes, but it could, I would describe AI as a capacity multiplier, not a replacement for teachers.”

He explained that AI could also convert approved textbooks into printable worksheets, audio lessons and translated materials for multilingual classrooms.

However, he stressed that technology could not replace the personal support, motivation and guidance provided by trained teachers.

AI Could Deepen Africa’s Education Inequality

Another concern raised during the interview was whether AI could widen existing educational inequalities between urban and rural communities.

Jeremiah warned that students with reliable electricity, internet access, suitable devices and paid AI subscriptions could gain significant advantages over those without these resources.

He cited International Telecommunication Union estimates indicating that only 36% of people in Africa were online in 2025.

He also highlighted language barriers, noting that many mainstream AI systems perform better in English than in African languages.

 “When African languages, histories, and social context are poorly represented in training data, the system may answer African questions fluently, but incorrectly or inaccurately,” the expert noted.

According to Jeremiah, inadequate representation of African languages and indigenous knowledge could lead to inaccurate responses and limit the educational value of AI systems.

He called for greater investment in African language datasets and locally relevant educational content.

Should African Schools Ban ChatGPT?

On whether schools should restrict students from using AI for assignments, Jeremiah argued against both complete bans and unrestricted access.

He proposed three approaches: assignments completed without AI assistance, tasks “where students declare their use of AI, and assessments specifically designed to evaluate AI-generated responses.”

Under the third approach, students could be required to identify errors in AI responses, compare information with academic sources and explain their reasoning.

He also cautioned schools against relying solely on AI detection tools to determine academic misconduct, citing research showing that such systems can incorrectly classify human-written work as AI-generated.

Jeremiah maintained that academic integrity should focus on students demonstrating understanding, honesty and independent reasoning.

What African Governments Must Do

Looking ahead, Jeremiah proposed five priorities for governments preparing their education systems for AI: building infrastructure, training teachers, developing local content, establishing regulations and evaluating outcomes. 

He said reliable electricity, affordable internet access and teacher training were essential to ensuring that AI benefits students across different communities.

He also recommended that educational AI systems be assessed “for accuracy, bias, privacy and cybersecurity risks before being introduced into classrooms.”

Rather than measuring success by the number of schools using AI chatbots, Jeremiah argued that governments should assess whether the technology improves learning outcomes, strengthens teachers’ abilities and reduces educational inequalities.