IIT Ropar initiative urges students to use AI as a tool, not let it become their master

Dr. Atharva Poundarik of IIT Ropar said an institutional initiative is seeking to strengthen students' critical thinking as artificial intelligence becomes more widely used in education and work.

Poundarik said the initiative aims to help students treat AI as a tool rather than allow it to direct their thinking. He described that distinction as critical for students preparing to graduate and take on leadership roles.

“IITians are known for their critical thinking,” Poundarik said. “With the advent of AI and use of AI, that ability naturally needs more attention.”

Building foundational thinking

According to Poundarik, the initiative focuses on the fundamentals of selected foundational principles and ground-up thinking. The aim is to give students a stronger basis for assessing and using AI-generated assistance.

He said this approach can help students “use AI as a tool, and not have AI as a master”. The statement places emphasis on human judgment and independent reasoning while students engage with AI systems.

Poundarik also said IIT Ropar is taking steps to act on these priorities. He linked that work to the ability of young graduates to emerge as competent and courageous leaders.

The comments highlight a practical issue for students using AI: access to a powerful tool does not remove the need to understand fundamentals or evaluate the work produced with its help. The supplied remarks do not identify the initiative by name or provide details about its curriculum, participants or implementation timeline.

Why the message matters

The initiative's stated focus is not opposition to AI use. Instead, it seeks to combine AI use with critical thinking, foundational knowledge and independent, ground-up reasoning.

For students, that means the central expectation described by Poundarik is responsible use. AI may support learning and problem-solving, but the remarks stress that students should retain control over their judgment.

Conclusion

Dr. Atharva Poundarik said IIT Ropar is taking steps to reinforce foundational thinking and critical judgment so students can use AI as a tool while developing into competent and courageous leaders.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Who made the remarks about AI and critical thinking?

Dr. Atharva Poundarik of IIT Ropar made the remarks.

Q. What does the initiative aim to strengthen?

It aims to build foundational principles and ground-up thinking among students.

Q. How does Poundarik say students should use AI?

He said students should use AI as a tool rather than have AI act as their master.

Q. Why does he believe critical thinking needs more attention?

He said the wider use and advent of AI make greater attention to critical thinking necessary.

Q. What wider outcome did Poundarik connect to the initiative?

He connected it to helping young students graduate as competent and courageous leaders.

Q. Did the remarks identify the initiative by name?

No. its name or details about its curriculum or timeline is not yet available.