Do AI writing tools actually help students become better writers?

I think AI can be useful for pointing out gaps in an argument or helping organize an outline. What I’m less sure about is whether students learn much when they receive a rewritten paragraph without understanding why it was changed.

Before students visit the EssaysBot website or try a similar tool, I think it helps to have a specific task in mind. “Does this paragraph support my thesis?” seems more useful than “improve my essay.” It gives the student something to evaluate instead of simply accepting a new version.

The difficult part is deciding whether the feedback is actually right. A suggestion might make a sentence sound better but change the meaning or make a claim stronger than the evidence supports. Checking that requires understanding both the topic and the sources.

I’m also interested in what happens on the next assignment. If a tool explains why a paragraph is unclear, can the student recognize that problem independently later? That seems like a better sign of learning than whether the current essay reads more smoothly.

For anyone who has used AI for academic writing or worked with students who do: which uses have actually helped develop writing skills? Do you find it more useful for planning, feedback, or editing? And have you noticed yourself needing less help over time?