ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF COLLABORATIVE STUDY CULTURE: EVIDENCE FROM GRADUATE-LEVEL STUDENTS IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

This paper explores the effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies on the culture of collaborative study among graduate students in Pakistan. Although AI-based tools like ChatGPT, Grammarly, and QuillBot have become part of academic activities, the effects they have on peer- to-peer learning and engage with others have not been studied extensively. The study based on a qualitative research design, including semi-structured interviewing of 10 graduate students in the COMSATS University Islamabad, guided by the social constructivist theory of Vygotsky (1978) and using the semi-structured interviews based on the thematic analysis model by Braun and Clarke (2006). Its results showed a twofold effect of AI integration. On the upslope side, AI led to improved academic achievement, language mastery, self-confidence, effectiveness, and communication, especially among non-native English speakers. On the downsides, AI undermined originality, critical thinking, dependence on machine-generated summaries, and in-depth collaborative effort. These findings underscore the self-contradictory nature of AI as a facilitator of personal learning and a destroyer of the traditional study group. The research concludes by stating that AI cannot be deemed as a positive or negative phenomenon and rather the dual phenomenon that needs to be integrated in a balanced manner. Teachers and scholars are encouraged to work on plans that can exploit the advantages of AI and maintain the collaborative practices as a way of making sure that technology and peer communication co-exist to enhance graduate education. Placing the research in the Pakistani context, the study can offer localized knowledge to the research on artificial intelligence as it encourages focusing on culturally- sensitive ways of integrating AI into higher education.