OpenAI announced Tuesday the launch of Study Mode, a new feature in ChatGPT designed to help students strengthen their critical thinking skills instead of simply generating quick answers.
With Study Mode enabled, ChatGPT changes its approach to education by prompting users with questions and, in some cases, withholding direct answers until students engage with the material. The feature aims to make ChatGPT more of a learning companion than an answer engine.
Study Mode is available immediately for logged-in users on ChatGPT’s Free, Plus, Pro, and Team plans. OpenAI said it will extend the feature to Edu subscribers — schools that purchase ChatGPT access for their entire student body — in the coming weeks.
The move comes as millions of students continue using AI tools for schoolwork. Research released in June suggested that relying on ChatGPT to write essays resulted in lower brain activity compared with those using Google Search or no tool at all, raising concerns about overdependence on generative AI.
Since ChatGPT’s 2022 launch, educators have debated its role in classrooms. Some school districts banned the tool outright before reversing course in 2023 as AI adoption became widespread.
Study Mode mirrors similar efforts by competitors, including Anthropic’s “Learning Mode” for its Claude AI chatbot, launched in April.
For now, OpenAI is leaving it up to students to use Study Mode voluntarily, as there are no administrative or parental controls to lock users into the feature. “It will take committed students to make Study Mode work as intended,” said OpenAI Vice President of Education Leah Belsky.
Source: TechCrunch