Khaberni - From helping with lesson reviews to subscriptions targeted at universities, AI companies are expanding their offerings with the goal of winning the loyalty of young students at a very early stage, while simultaneously providing access to valuable data.
Alexis (24 years old), a master's student in financial sciences at IE Business School in Madrid, says "Instead of emailing professors to inquire about lesson details, I have started using AI."
To review his lessons, the student, who preferred not to fully disclose his name, uploads all the lesson pages on "ChatGPT", using the "Study and Learn" feature activated by the program from OpenAI in July, according to Agence France-Presse.
Alexis adds "The model begins by explaining things to me, then it asks me questions about the page and the lesson in general to ensure that I have understood correctly."
This feature, which Google's "Gemini" has a similar version of, is designed, according to OpenAI, to help students find the solution themselves instead of providing them with a ready answer.
Gil-Jin, a researcher at the French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Technology, considers that this feature "is just marketing terminology", adding "It's like talking to ChatGPT in the usual way, but with additional instructions to not provide the answer immediately, but to gradually guide the user by asking questions and stimulating thinking."
Alexis says, "The school encourages us to use AI. All the teachers talk about it and tell us that learning how to use it is necessary in the workforce, especially in finance."
"Gemini" has launched a campaign in France to offer a free one-year subscription to "Google AI Pro", a package that usually costs 21.99 euros per month.
Adoption
Universities are offered group subscriptions that include both employees and students.
Antonio Caselli, a professor at the Polytechnic Institute in Paris and specialist in digital platforms, says, "The university market is very lucrative, especially in Europe. Companies have entered it and are gradually taking over it."
The cost of the subscription negotiated with each institution ranges between 5 and 25 euros per person per month.
Caselli believes that the objective is twofold: making young users dependent on this tool, and starting to collect data early on, a process that continues for years.
OpenAI confirms on its website "not to use any data or conversations" from university accounts to train its models. But according to Caselli, the tool is still capable of identifying cultural tastes or social relationships between users.
He says, "For instance, two individuals from the same university, in the same place, asking for movie suggestions at the same time, could be considered friends."
OpenAI and Google did not respond when Agence France-Presse tried to contact them.
While Alexis confirms that he remains cautious and does not share personal information on his university account in "ChatGPT", he admits relying on the program for certain matters and says that without this tool "it would take much longer for him to study."
Before joining higher education
A survey conducted by the IFOP/Talan Foundation and published last April indicates that 85% of young people aged between 18 and 24 use generative AI daily (compared to 68% in 2024).
This use often begins long before joining higher education.
Adeline Andre, an educational inspector and head of a working group on artificial intelligence and education, says "Students want to succeed, but sometimes the difficulties they face alone at home can challenge them. AI can help them overcome these obstacles."
Gil-Jin in "If AI is set correctly, it resembles an always available teacher who answers questions precisely," with the importance of this usage being accompanied by guidance on best practices.
In the near future, AI can also be used to personalize educational content and capture the attention of young people. Gil-Jin refers to a textbook specifically designed and supported by AI. "If the student is a basketball fan, the math exercises can be designed based on that," she says.
