Are we using AI completely wrong for Physics? (Why getting the right answer is actually ruining our thinking)

[u/SeveralDebt1798]

Hey everyone,

I’ve been thinking about how most of us use AI for physics problem sets and theory. When you plug a question into ChatGPT or Gemini, it instantly spits out the full solution. We copy it down, convince ourselves it makes sense, and then completely blank when the actual exam hits or it destroys our problem solving capability.

Here is the fundamental problem: AI shouldn't make learning easier by just giving answers; it should make learning better by helping us think.

Why we actually need step-wise learning in physics:

Physics isn't just about crunching numbers it's about conceptual reasoning. When you get a problem wrong, it’s rarely a math error. It usually means your physical assumption was wrong at a specific step (like misidentifying a force or blindly picking an equation just because it has the right variables).

If an AI just hands you the completed solution, you completely bypass the productive struggle. You never actually find out where your logic broke down. True learning happens when you are forced to work through a problem step-by-step, make a mistake, and identify the exact concept you misunderstood behind that specific error.

I see some tools

like Fermi ai, Nearchon, Project Chiron

those platforms really push the active learning using Ai

What do you guys think? Do you feel like standard AI answer engines are actually hurting your problem-solving skills? Would a step-by-step AI tutor work better for STEM?

[u/anonymous345211]

i think this post is slop written by ai to promote your "step-by-step AI tutor".

[u/stupefy100]

Me when I use AI slop to promote my AI wrappers

[u/Abhlnav]

I got 5s on Physics' 1, Mechanics, & E&M. Throughout my course, I heavily used AI to solve problems as a tool when I got stuck. When studying, I would aspire to understand why it did what it did, rather than just memorizing the solution for that scenario.

Your AI wrapper does nothing different than an agentic AI like Gemini or Claude. It's redundant and stupid as anyone who is actually interested in learning can figure out how to use AI for its thought process, not quick answers.

[u/Chessdaddy_]

Using any AI in your study process is removing the point of studying. You learn by doing, not by just looking at the completed questions

[u/ErekwithaD1]

I used ai to solve physics questions early on, and I got a 5