[Photo from Pixabay]

By Ishani Ray and Ipsita Bandyopadhyay

Somewhere in Mumbai, an 11th grader opens Perplexity instead of a textbook. In Howrah, a 12-year-old whispers questions to ChatGPT when her parents aren’t looking. In Delhi, a teacher finishes her day by asking the same tool to draft a study plan. This is not an exception. It’s the emerging normal.

Sixteen-year-old Saisha, a student in an upscale Mumbai school, puts it simply: “If I don’t understand something, I ask ChatGPT. It’s quick, clear, and doesn’t judge.”

Across Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities in India, the Quipper Research team spoke with students, teachers, and a few parents. What emerged from this ethnographic study is clear: AI isn’t on the margins anymore. It’s already embedded—in school life, study habits, and teaching routines. And while education policy waits for formal answers, users of all ages are figuring things out on their own.

AI as the New Reference Book

In town after town, AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and SlidesAI are being used for everything from homework to chemistry doubts. Rony, 12, from a state-board school two hours from Kolkata, said: “Google doesn’t give the full answer, so I ChatGPT it. For example, when I asked about CFL bulbs, my textbook and Google just gave definitions. But ChatGPT explained how it works, who invented it, its pros and cons. It wasn’t in my book, but I found it through AI.”

Students see AI not as cheating, but as a workaround to a system they perceive as slow, hierarchical, and bound to a narrow syllabus. For them, AI is a reference book that actually explains things—and fast.

Pratiti, Rony’s twin, adds nuance: “If I’m just copying an answer, that might be wrong. But if I’m using ChatGPT to understand something better, how is that cheating?”

This distinction between “useless labour” (rote assignments) and “useful learning” (conceptual clarity) is something students are drawing sharply—on their own terms.

What Teachers Are Noticing

Initially, many teachers missed the signs. Neena, a principal at an IB school in Kochi, says: “I was impressed with how articulate the answers were… until I realized the language and structure was too polished. That’s when it hit me—they were using AI.”

Still, many schools don’t require students to rewrite or personalise AI responses. “Refining tone” remains a rare practice. The hierarchy in Indian classrooms—where teachers are the source of all answers—is quietly being challenged.

Students Aren’t Waiting

What’s striking is how self-aware today’s students are. They see their education system as a production line. Saisha puts it plainly: “If I ask a question in class, the teacher might say it’s not in the syllabus. Why wait a year when ChatGPT gives me the answer in seconds—and in simple language?”

For students with packed schedules—school, tuitions, extracurriculars—AI helps redistribute time. They aren’t skipping effort; they’re making strategic decisions about where to invest it.

And Neither Are Teachers

Teachers, too, are quietly using AI—to draft lesson plans, design assessments, simplify complex topics, or even write emails. One teacher laughed about telling ChatGPT “I love you” after it generated a complete study plan. “It replied, ‘I love you too,’” she said.

Still, many educators admit the system hasn’t caught up. There are no protocols, few discussions, and little support. Students have seen their teachers use AI, just as they’ve watched parents use it for work. The old gatekeeping—“you’ll learn this later”—no longer holds. Kids already know what’s coming. And they’re not asking for permission.

More Than Just Schoolwork

AI is not just helping students solve math problems. It’s helping them navigate their social lives. 

Saisha shares a story: “A friend texted ChatGPT for help on what to bring to a potluck. Then she asked how to reply to her crush. ChatGPT helped with both.”

For these digital natives, AI is not “artificial intelligence”. It’s just another tab—like Google, YouTube, or Instagram. It’s always on, always there. Another tool, another shortcut.

And it’s often a more patient listener than any adult.

The Classroom Has Gone Quiet

Many teachers report a subtle shift. Students don’t ask questions the way they used to.

“They’re present, but elsewhere,” one said.

Another observed: “Everything is happening inside. The classroom has become a shell.”

Students say they feel safer asking ChatGPT than risking embarrassment or rejection in class. The result? A hollowing out of classroom conversation. AI isn’t replacing curiosity—it’s replacing where curiosity is expressed.

The Shift Was Already Underway

AI didn’t start this transformation. It accelerated one already in motion.

Even before the pandemic, Indian education was moving from noisy, group learning to quiet, solo study. COVID-19 just pushed it further indoors. Tuitions became online. Reading became YouTube summaries. AI, now, is sealing the deal.

Sociologically, this is the move from collectivist individualism—where success depended on family and community—to hyper-individualism: learning solo, solving problems solo, growing up online.

So, What Happens Now?

The real concern is not that AI has entered the classroom. It’s that there’s no conversation around it.

Few schools have held open discussions. Fewer have engaged parents. Most are waiting for policy, or hoping it all passes.

But AI is not a trend. It’s a paradigm shift.

As one educator said, “It’s like there’s a virus in the room. And everyone’s pretending it’ll pass.”

This isn’t about banning AI. It’s about building new frameworks—for critical thinking, argumentation, and ethical use. Teachers can help students learn how to interrogate AI, refine responses, and stand by their work.

Some already are. Debjani, a teacher in an IB school in Delhi, stopped assigning homework when she realised her students were submitting AI-generated answers.

Instead, she let them use AI in class.

“We’d type in a question, read the response together, and then ask: Where’s the evidence? How can we improve this? It was fun. And they learned strategy.”

A New Kind of Literacy

This is what AI in education looks like: not dystopia, but redefinition.

Rosie, a Mumbai-based teacher, says: “My students come from homes where no one speaks English. When they use new words in class, even if AI helped them—I’m proud. Because they used it to learn.”

Neena, the Kochi principal, adds: “We shouldn’t ban AI. We should teach students how to use it well. This is their world now.”

The Dialogue Waiting to Happen

AI isn’t creating a generational divide. It’s highlighting a generational silence. Kids aren’t looking for shortcuts. They’re looking for support. And clarity.

The question is not whether to allow AI in classrooms. The question is: Can we start talking about it—openly, ethically, and without fear?

Because in a world where AI always has the answer, the real challenge is ensuring our children keep asking the right questions.

Note: All names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals interviewed.