Artificial Intelligence – advancement in technology has already thrown educators and administrators a curveball. The big question in the past few years pertaining to writing was to produce original, plagiarism-free work. These days with the advent of language models, students, researchers, and writers are able to generate good-quality articles and essays on a variety of topics. What is good and bad about AI writing tools?
The big ethical question is whether AI-generated responses are considered original research. AI for sure saves time and some platforms provide everything ranging from outlines to full sentence paragraphs and even completed drafts utilizing keywords input by the author. This means fewer hours spent researching and organizing ideas. Gone are the days when students needed to know that a sentence must contain a subject and a predicate and content formula for a thesis statement. AI crafts all of the above, though a person still needs to determine whether it is useful or needs to be tweaked.
Another plus of writing assistance is the real-time content generation and feedback. If one is not satisfied with the content, AI is capable of re-wording within seconds. This feedback and real-time correction of grammar and spelling make certain aspects of teaching and learning obsolete. Students and writers no longer need to worry about coherence or vocabulary. Certain AI is able to adapt an individual’s writing style and preferences and therefore generate responses in the “user’s voice.” This makes AI-generated writing seem more authentic and personal.
Also, certain AI-led tools are able to detect plagiarism by comparing an essay or article within the corpus of previously published works. This feature is most useful for any writer. I personally think that AI-generated content is much like Wikipedia at this stage – not academic per se but a good starting point for any user, especially those who need help at the initial stage of the writing process. It will be nearly impossible to prevent students from utilizing AI writing assistance. Professors and administrators are going to have to re-thinking teaching and writing assignments in the age of AI. Standardized tests which are used to test a student’s vocabulary and writing skills will also need to be re-formulated based on technological advances.
An essay on Socrates’ philosophy or Shakespeare’s works will never look the same; instructors will need to think about newer ways of teaching and assessing as more technology gets incorporated into the classrooms. This is probably a window of opportunity to actually teach, and not just teach for the test, as the test will also not be the same. Thesis and dissertations too will never look the same. Resistance is futile. The first disruption to the education system was virtual learning due to the pandemic and the second wave of disruption (disruption is not always a negative phenomenon), probably larger than the first is the AI writing apps and content generated by machines. Students will most likely welcome this technology with open arms and so should instructors – students can always be taught to use the technology for the right reasons and in the right way. Might as well empower the students now and build efficiency in the realm of Education.
Image credit: Pngtree