If there is no escaping AI, why do institutions make it seem like cheating?
AI tools are becoming a normal part of everyday learning, from writing essays to finding research papers in seconds. But there is a big question students keep asking: is using them smart studying or just another form of cheating?
The truth is, it depends on how you use them. When handled the right way, AI can be like a study buddy, a research helper, or even a personal tutor, without replacing your own effort. And it is not just ChatGPT anymore. In 2025, there are plenty of other AI tools designed to help students save time, understand complex topics, and get work done more effectively. Here are seven of the most useful ones worth knowing about.
Khanmigo (Khan Academy’s AI Tutor)
Khanmigo is like a personal tutor available 24/7. It does not just hand you answers, instead, it gives hints, asks guiding questions, and helps you figure things out yourself (which is better for learning). It covers subjects like math, science, coding, and essay writing.
Why it is great for students:
- Encourages independent problem solving, not shortcuts.
- Offers practice through engaging modules like “Tutor Me” or “Ignite Your Curiosity.”
- Teachers can use it to prepare lesson plans fast or monitor where students struggle.
- Upload PDFs, Google Docs, Slides, videos, and audio, get summaries, connections across materials, and ask questions you upload.
- Free version allows up to 50 uploads, 50 chat queries/day, and three audio generations.
Lets you export citations and collaborate easily.
Cons:
- Sometimes stops halfway through a session due to usage limits, and can be slower than using ChatGPT directly.
- Problem-solving can feel mechanical, seemingly missing your thought process.
- Subscription required; not universally available yet.
Google NotebookLM
On Google’s NotebookLM, you can upload your own study materials like PDFs, lecture slides, or articles and NotebookLM turns them into helpful study tools. It can summarize content, generate flashcards, produce a timeline, or even create an AI-style podcast that discusses the material.
Why it is great for students:
- Helps make sense of big chunks of notes quickly.
- You stay focused on what you need, it works from your own notes.
- Upload PDFs, Google Docs, Slides, videos, and audio, get summaries, connections across materials, and ask questions you upload.
- Free version allows up to 50 uploads, 50 chat queries/day, and three audio generations.
- Lets you export citations and collaborate easily.
Cons:
- Can hallucinate or misinterpret if source files are not clear.
- Best suited for Google Workspace; mobile app features are limited; limited ability to customize tone/style in free version.
- You are limited by upload counts and file compatibility, and its power depends on what you feed it.
- Mobile support is just rolling out (e.g., in Spain), and regional availability remains variable.
Consensus
Consensus is like asking a brilliant librarian who’s read millions of research papers and gives you a clear, summarized answer, citing all the real sources. It searches 200 million+ papers and ranks them by credibility and relevance.
Why it is great for students:
- Ideal for writing essays or research projects based on solid evidence.
- All summaries are grounded in real, citable peer-reviewed research rather than speculative AI output.
- Searches over 200 million scientific documents, including PubMed, Semantic Scholar, and high-impact journals.
- Filters results not just by relevance but also by research quality signals like recency, citation count, and journal impact.
- Every insight is linked directly to the original source so users can verify information.
- Eliminates fake sources and wrong facts, with “checker models” to minimize misinterpretations.
Cons:
- Cannot generate original ideas or answer questions outside its database.
- AI can sometimes misread and incorrectly summarize a real paper.
- Functions as a search engine, so it lacks the flexibility of a chatbot for open-ended queries.
- While vast, it still may miss niche or unpublished research.
- Best use comes from reading original papers, so it’s less of a “quick answer” tool than other AI assistants.
Notion AI
Notion AI is built into the Notion app you might use for taking notes or organizing tasks. It can clean up your notes, summarize them, turn them into outlines, and even draft flashcards.
Why it is great for students:
- Keep all your class notes and study plans tidy.
- Helps you skim lectures quickly or prep study guides without retyping everything.
- Lets you build anything from a simple to-do list to a complex project management system using customizable pages and blocks.
- Offers a variety of ready-made templates for different needs like project planning, journaling, or habit tracking, saving setup time.
- Works on web, desktop, and mobile, with real-time syncing across devices.
- Hierarchical page structure, databases, and toggles make it easy to manage large volumes of information.
- Large active user community that shares setups, templates, and productivity tips.
Cons:
- While easy to start, mastering advanced features like databases, relations, and rollups can be overwhelming.
- Heavy databases or many linked pages can slow down loading, especially on mobile.
- Some features may not work seamlessly without an internet connection.
- If something is deleted or changed, restoring older versions can be tricky compared to traditional file systems.
- Without a clear structure, it is easy to overcomplicate your workspace and reduce efficiency.
Grammarly (with AI writing support)
Grammarly checks your spelling, grammar, clarity, and tone and its AI now helps you rewrite or polish sentences to sound smarter and clearer.
Why it is great for students:
- Makes your writing clean and professional (especially useful for essays!).
- Helps you learn how to say things better without completely rewriting your ideas.
- Instantly flags and corrects errors, helping students write polished assignments.
- Compare your work to billions of sources to ensure originality, which is crucial for academic writing.
- Suggests improvements to make writing more formal, casual, persuasive, or concise depending on your needs.
- Offers synonym suggestions to avoid repetition and improve clarity.
- Works as a browser extension, desktop app, and mobile keyboard, making it accessible anywhere.
Cons:
- Advanced suggestions, tone detection, and plagiarism checks require a paid plan.
- Sometimes flags creative choices as errors, which may hinder creative writing.
- AI suggestions can occasionally misinterpret the intended meaning.
- Offline writing support is limited, reducing accessibility in low-connectivity areas.
- As with all cloud-based tools, uploading sensitive academic work may raise data security issues.
Otter.ai
What it does: Otter.ai records audio (like lectures or group calls), converts it into text, and makes it searchable. It also highlights key points and can summarize the conversation.
Why it is great for students:
- Captures fast-paced lectures you might miss.
- Great when studying in groups—no one misses what everyone said.
- Captures spoken words instantly, letting students focus on understanding instead of note-taking.
- Works with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and other platforms for easy use in virtual classes and meetings.
- Allows you to find specific terms or topics in lecture notes quickly.
- Available on web, mobile, and desktop, so notes are synced across all devices.
Lets you share transcripts with classmates for group projects and study sessions.
Cons:
- Background noise, accents, or technical issues can reduce transcription accuracy.
- Free tier has restrictions on monthly transcription minutes and features.
- Real-time transcription depends on stable connectivity.
- Sensitive lectures or discussions may raise data security questions.
- Over-reliance on transcripts can lead to passive learning if students skip reviewing them critically.
Perplexity
Perplexity is a search tool that gives quick summaries of topics and links to credible sources you can check yourself. Think of it like Google but smarter.
Why it is great for students:
- Gets you quick answers and trustworthy sources fast.
- It is perfect when you need a starting point, like for a quick overview before deep study.
- Every answer includes verifiable sources so users can confirm the information.
- Quick Search for fast answers and Pro Search for in-depth, contextual research.
- Spaces allow users to store, categorize, and revisit queries and documents.
- Enables sharing of research findings with peers, making it ideal for group projects.
- Users can select from GPT-4 Omni, Claude 3, and other advanced models for tailored results.
Cons:
- The accuracy of results depends on the reliability of the sources it pulls from.
- Not as flexible for brainstorming or creative writing compared to ChatGPT-style tools.
- Many premium features are only available in Pro or Enterprise plans.
- Pulling content from certain websites may raise legal or usage issues.
- Pro Search and file upload limits may restrict heavy research users.
Summary Table
| Tool | What It Does (Simple) | Student Benefit |
| Khanmigo | AI that questions you to find answers | Builds problem-solving skills |
| NotebookLM | Summarizes your own files with audio options | Makes studying easier and flexible |
| Consensus | Research engine that cites real studies | Quick access to trustworthy info |
| Notion AI | Organizes notes and outlines | Keeps your notes well-structured |
| Grammarly AI | Checks and enhances your writing style | Clean, polished academic writing |
| Otter.ai | Transcribes & organizes spoken content | Never miss a lecture or project chat |
| Perplexity | Smart search with citations | Good for fast info and reliable links |
