The entry of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the education sector has had a tremendous impact, especially in preparations for competitive exams like the Civil Service Exams (CSE), conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The introduction of easily accessible AI tools is revolutionising the way aspirants prepare. But this brings up the question: Can relying only on AI guarantee success in the UPSC?
Attractive tool
While tech-savvy aspirants are lured by the prospect of an AI-powered study tool, the path to success isn’t dependent on AI alone. Instead, students must find the right balance between smartly utilising the capabilities of AI and recognising that there is no substitute for human guidance.
The biggest advantage AI offers is the ability to condense and summarise enormous volumes of information. It allows information to be distilled into bite-sized, AI-powered insights, encapsulates the essence of complex subjects creates personalised learning paths, interactive visualisations, and easily memorised summaries. This saves a huge amount of time and allows students to better focus on truly comprehending and engaging with their study material.
Pitfalls
But this also presents a new challenge: navigating this neatly ordered, AI-prepared information without succumbing to distraction. Preparing for examinations in the pre-AI era demanded a great deal of attention and dedication. But, in an age when smart and interactive devices have become omnipresent, the human attention span has seen a sharp decline. A study by Microsoft states that the average attention span has dropped from 12 seconds to eight seconds since 2000. With AI tools now taking away much of the burden of studying, this trend is only set to get worse. Mastering focus and the ability to filter distractions becomes paramount. In such a situation, experienced mentors who can guide aspirants through this information while also instilling traits such as focus, consistency, and motivation are indispensable.
Human factor
Despite AI’s entry to exam preparation, what sets a successful candidate apart is their psychological resilience and the presence of a mentor, who may even have first-hand experience of the exam and can provide strategic insights, psychological support, and learning from personal experience, along with extensive practice for the interview process.
While AI can provide condensed knowledge and personalised learning paths, a mentor can directly address an aspirant’s strengths and weaknesses and provide real-time feedback, leading to continuous improvement. While AI-powered tools can be used strategically aspirants must remember these are tools, not substitutes.
Also remember that AI, as advanced as it may be, still has inherent limitations. While it can reorganise and repackage information, it cannot replicate the process of human understanding and internalisation. It lacks the ability to strategise, reason, and motivate; essential qualities to navigate the dynamic landscape of UPSC examinations. Success in areas like essay writing demands sustained practice and refinement, areas where AI tools fall short.
Another area in which AI falls short is its ability to comprehend and interpret intricate socio-political, economic, and administrative contexts; subjects that form the bedrock of the UPSC syllabus. With AI unable to grasp the nuances of governance, policy formulation, and decision-making processes, the need for human expertise and critical thinking to navigate these complex domains is further highlighted. This also extends to AI’s inability to update the information it provides with general knowledge and the latest news and developments within a field. An aspirant can only gain this information by actively following the news and other relevant sources of information.
While AI is undoubtedly an exciting frontier for UPSC preparation, it cannot be treated as a substitute for hard work and effort. Aspirants who can embrace its use in specific instances while being aware of its shortcomings are best placed to benefit from its integration into their study routine.
The writer is Chief UPSC Mentor and Psychology Counsellor at Testbook.
