AI in College: How Far Should It Go?
Everyone (I’m sure) has used Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their classes in one way or another. I know I have, even if I’m not too proud of the fact.
I’m an English and Secondary Education major. Because of this, I’ve always been incredibly anxious about the advancements of AI, especially within classrooms and writing. Writing and the art of teaching about it is my entire passion, yet I constantly find both the students I teach and my peers submitting writing that isn’t their own. I’ve had multiple professors here encourage using ChatGPT for brainstorming and grading independently written pieces. Although I hate the thought of AI generated writing, as a stressed-out college student with so many responsibilities, I totally get it.
Some professors have encouraged students to fully utilize AI to write papers. This happened in a public speaking course I took in my freshman year, in which my professor advised students to use ChatGPT to write their speeches. Although presenting rather than writing was a focus of the class, it still rubbed me the wrong way. Your own words are such a crucial part of your identity, story, and character. If you’re presenting a speech that you didn’t even write, how much presenting are you actually doing?
How much is a student, especially a college student, who is actively choosing to be a part of this institution and pay money to go here, learning if they are relying on artificial intelligence to get by? How much is a professor actually doing their job if they are utilizing AI to come up with their lesson plans? I’ve had experiences on both sides of the spectrum, seeing both students and professors engage in AI for more than just brainstorming. It depletes the humanity of learning, especially when it comes to writing. AI can be used well and effectively, but it’s beginning to take over the voices of actual people.
