"All Roads Lead to ChatGPT": How Generative AI is Eroding Social Interactions and Student Learning Communities

The widespread adoption of generative AI is already impacti ng learning and help-seeking. While the benefits of generative AI are well-understood, recent studies have also raised concernsabout increased potential for cheating and negative impacts on stud ents' metacognition and critical thinking. However, the potenti al impacts on social interactions, peer learning, and classroom dynamics are not yet well understood. To investigate these aspect s, we conducted 17 semi-structured interviews with undergraduate computing students across seven R1 universities in NorthAmerica. Our findings suggest that help-seeking requests are now often me di-ated by generative AI. For example, students often redirected questions from their peers to generative AI instead of providing assistance themselves, undermining peer interaction. Students also reported feeling increasingly isolated and demotivated as th e social support systems they rely on begin to break down. These findings are concerning given the important role that social interac tions play in students' learning and sense of belonging.