ChatGPT vs Real Teacher: My Real Experience with a 9th Standard Student

Last week, I experienced a moment that really scared me.

I met John’s son, who is my friend. He is in the 9th grade. A smart, confident boy who always has a cell phone with him. As a finance expert who works with students a lot, I naturally asked him a few easy arithmetic questions.

It’s not hard. Basic level for 9th grade.

But what he said stunned me.

“I’ll check ChatGPT and let you know, Uncle,” he said.

I smiled and asked another question. The same answer again.

“I’ll look at ChatGPT.”

I understood something important at that time. A 9th grader can use AI technologies like ChatGPT right away. This highlights how quickly the world of AI is changing. But it also made me think about something deeper:

Are we gradually substituting cognition with inquiry?

As the founder of Business Tax Hub and someone who works closely with students and professionals in the U.S. corporate world, I know that this isn’t just about technology. It’s about how people will think in the future.

I want to express my honest ideas and experiences using ChatGPT vs. a real teacher in this essay. I’m not trying to criticize AI; I’m just worried about how we use it.

The Time That Made Me Think

When John stated he would check ChatGPT, I first thought he was just being curious.

But when he kept giving the same answer to every simple question, I started to worry.

He wasn’t even trying to think.

No harsh work.

No math in your head.

No trying things out and failing.

Just a need right away.

As a finance and HR professional with an MBA, I know one thing for sure: the ability to think is what makes problem-solving possible. In taxes, payroll compliance, corporate finance, or HR analytics, reasoning is more important than facts.

There is information everywhere.

It’s not common to think.

Learning about the growth of AI in schools

We can all agree on one thing: AI isn’t going anywhere.

AI tools are being used by everyone, from students to business leaders. Smartphones have made it easy to go to platforms like ChatGPT.

In a way, this is progress.

Today, students can:

Get explanations right away.

Understand ideas in plain English.

Clear up doubts at any time

Get access to expertise from around the world.

We had to wait for library books or seminars twenty years ago. Today, you can get responses in seconds.

That is growth.

But if you grow without help, you could become dependent.

What is the real difference between ChatGPT and a real teacher?

Let’s look at this in a professional and unbiased way.

1. Knowledge vs. Wisdom

ChatGPT gives you information.

A real instructor gives you knowledge.

A teacher knows:

• The student’s level of knowledge
• How you feel
• Things you are good at and things you are bad at
• Body language
• How long you can pay attention

AI doesn’t notice when a student is unsure.

AI doesn’t see dread before tests.

AI doesn’t get when a child is pretending to understand.

A real teacher can.

2. Quick Answers vs. Deep Understanding

He didn’t try when I asked him an arithmetic question.

Why?

He understood that a solution was accessible right away.

But getting the right answer isn’t what education is all about.

It is about:

• How you went about it
• Where you went wrong
• What you learned from the process

Students miss out on brain growth when they don’t think.

And that’s not safe.

3. Thinking critically vs. thinking quickly

In my work, especially when I help students who want to work in finance and HR, I observe one problem that happens a lot:

A lot of people desire quick fixes.

But the business world doesn’t reward shortcuts. It gives rewards:

• Skills in analysis
• Reasoning logically
• Making decisions under stress
• Judgment on your own

What will happen in college if a 9th grader relies on AI for fundamental math? What will happen when people make decisions in real life?

Will they look up AI before every choice?

Is AI Really Messing Up How People Think?

Let me be clear.

AI is not the bad guy.

The issue is misuse.

People said that the calculator would ruin math skills when it was first made. But we still learn how to do math in our heads before utilizing calculators.

In the same way, ChatGPT should be:

• A tool for help
• A tool for making things clear
• A helper for learning

Not a substitute for thinking.

The issue begins when pupils employ AI:

• Before trying
• Instead of trying
• Not knowing

That’s where the risk is.

My Experience as an Educator and Mentor

As Karthick Raja, I have worked in finance operations, taxes, payroll compliance, and HR for more than 10 years. I help students and professionals who wish to learn useful skills for their jobs.

I have seen candidates in interviews who:

• Know definitions by heart.
• Use advanced words.
• Can’t figure out a real-life problem

Why?

People remembered or copied information instead of understanding it.

This is exactly what I worry about when I see kids in school relying too much on AI.

When foundational thinking weakens, higher-level reasoning also weakens.

The Emotional Aspect of This Issue

Please let me be honest.

I wasn’t mad at John.

I was scared.

He is a symbol of a generation that grew up in a world with AI.

We can’t hold them responsible.

We, as adults, teachers, and parents, need to show children the way.

Technology is really strong.

But the brain is stronger if you train it right.

The Right Way to Use ChatGPT

We shouldn’t declare “AI is bad.” Instead, we should state:

“AI needs to be used the right way.”

This is how students should use ChatGPT:

1. Try First, Then Check

Do the math problem on your own.

Then ask AI.

Look at the answers side by side.

Know what mistakes are.

This makes you better at analyzing.

2. Don’t just ask for an answer; ask for an explanation.

Instead of saying, “What is the answer?”

Say, “Break it down into simple steps.”

This changes AI from a tool that gives answers to one that helps people learn.

3. Use it to make things clearer.

AI can make a topic easier to understand if it’s hard to understand.

But the pupil must:

• Rephrase it in their own words.
• Show someone else how to do it.
• Fix problems that are connected

That guarantees learning.

The Responsibility of of Parents and Teachers

Parents need to keep an eye on how it is used.

Teachers need to use AI in a responsible way.

Schools ought to:

• Teach people how to use AI.
• Explain how to use things ethically.
• Promote thinking for oneself.

We can’t stop AI.

But we may decide how to use it.

My Final Thoughts on ChatGPT vs. Real Teacher

There is no conflict.

It shouldn’t be “ChatGPT OR Real Teacher.”

It should be:

ChatGPT AND Real Teacher—within limits.

A real instructor makes the following:

• Character
• Discipline
• Ability to think
• Emotional smarts

AI makes

• Quickness
• Access
• Ease of use

But comfort without discipline makes you weak.

And that’s what worries me.

A Question for All Parents and Students

If there is tomorrow:

• No internet
• No artificial intelligence
• No search engine

Can the child still figure out simple problems on their own?

If the answer is no, we have a big problem.

Schools should teach people how to think, not how to depend on others.

My Final Thoughts

After talking to John, I felt two things:

Fear and hope.

Hope, since AI can help pupils.

Fear—because using them wrong can make them weaker.

I really believe the following:

Technology should not take the place of human intelligence; it should improve it.

People who know how to search don’t own the future.

People who know how to think will have a bright future.

That is my honest experience and reflection on ChatGPT vs. a real teacher.

And I feel this topic is just beginning.