What is it about?

The recent widespread use of generative AI-based code suggestion tools has made them an integral part of real-time coding assistance. While these tools enhance productivity, they can also lead students to become overly reliant on AI-generated code suggestions, often accepting them without critical thinking. To foster critical evaluation when choosing code suggestions, we created a standardized tool called the "Autosuggestion Quiz." This quiz incorporates Minsky's concept of "Negative Expertise," providing flawed suggestions (distractors) alongside the ideal suggestion to help students build the skills needed to identify and avoid errors when using AI tools, line by line. The quiz was piloted in a classroom with 38 students and found that "negative expertise" prompts students to pay close attention to each line and distinguish between good and bad suggestions.

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Why is it important?

A major challenge with the use of generative AI in programming education is that students may rely too heavily on AI-generated code suggestions, often accepting both correct and incorrect solutions without fully understanding them. This overreliance can hinder the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Recognizing this problem, educators are divided: while many still oppose the use of generative AI in the classroom, others acknowledge that responsible and effective use of AI which is increasingly required in industry. To address this issue, our research introduces a standardized quiz designed to train students in critical thinking by requiring them to evaluate and choose between good and bad code suggestions. This quiz offers a novel approach to helping students become more thoughtful and discerning users of AI tools.

Perspectives

This publication is unique in that it opens the door to teaching responsible use of AI in programming. Standardized quizzes like the one we propose can be integrated into computing education curricula to promote thoughtful and ethical use of AI tools. Although most educators are not yet incorporating AI education into their courses, we believe new tools and pedagogical formats should be introduced.

Rahad Arman Nabid
Temple University

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Fostering Responsible AI Use Through Negative Expertise: A Contextualized Autocompletion Quiz, June 2025, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery),
DOI: 10.1145/3724363.3729067.
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