RCT: AI as tutor raises test scores that persist; letting AI write for you fades within a week

emollick · x · 2026-10-10

Ethan Mollick shared randomized trial results using older GPT-4o: AI access raises test scores, with a smaller gain persisting a week later. Crucially, gains persist for students who use AI as a tutor ("augmentation") but fade for students who have AI write for them ("automation"). All experiments across the study showed positive effects, providing RCT-level evidence that how students use AI matters more than access itself.

Related event: RCT: AI Tutoring Boosts Learning, Copy-Paste Doesn't Stick(2 posts)→

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