For many students in the UAE, the study routine has changed. Instead of typing keywords into Google and opening multiple links, they now ask a question and get a direct answer.
Tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT deliver explanations in plain language, often within seconds. That shift saves time and cuts the cognitive load of scanning long webpages, PDFs, and academic portals.
Students say AI tools act like on-demand tutors. They summarise lectures, explain difficult concepts step by step, and even reframe answers at different difficulty levels.
Unlike a traditional search engine such as Google, which points users to sources, AI synthesises information into a single response. For exam preparation and last-minute revision, that immediacy matters.
Universities across the UAE report growing use of AI tools for notemaking, research outlines, and practice questions. Faculty members acknowledge that students grasp concepts faster when explanations arrive in conversational form.
Some institutions now focus less on banning AI and more on teaching students how to use it responsibly, as a support tool, not a shortcut.
Search engines still dominate for news, primary sources, and fact-checking. But for understanding concepts, students increasingly treat AI as the first stop.
The behaviour signals a broader shift: learning now begins with explanation, not links. Those alone change how information flows in classrooms.
Accuracy remains a concern. The two major problems created by AI tools arise because they can simplify information and produce inaccurate results.
Students lose their ability to think critically when they depend too much on technology because they trust information without checking its accuracy. Educators consider cross-checking and original analysis to be essential skills that students must develop.
AI is not killing search. It is changing how students approach knowledge. In the UAE, faster learning now often starts with a conversation, not a query box.