Overview:
The unintended consequences of relying on AI-generated writing tools like ChatGPT in education should prompt teachers to prioritize originality, critical thinking, and authentic student writing rather than opting for convenience.
Chat GPT, please write an introduction to an article about the pitfalls of using artificial intelligence-generated content in education. Make the author sound authoritative, yet casual. Disclaimer: This is an actual article.
In a world increasingly driven by artificial intelligence, tools like ChatGPT have emerged as powerful allies in productivity, creativity, and communication. From drafting emails to generating complex code, the ease and speed it offers are undeniably appealing. However, this convenience comes at a cost. As more individuals and organizations lean heavily on AI-generated content, concerns about overreliance, data privacy, misinformation, and the erosion of critical thinking skills are growing louder.
Teachers and students who use artificial intelligence (AI) to help them write can no doubt work faster. Take, for example, that introduction. It took me under a minute to type a request and get an introduction. AI-generated writing can save time and brain power, but (as Chat GPT pointed out) there are consequences to these conveniences. We sacrifice originality by relying on AI.
And, in some instances, it can be time-consuming to edit the formulaic writing produced by AI. More importantly, we do not get writing practice when the software does the work for us.
Our middle and high school students need to struggle through the writing process to learn on a deeper level. Undoubtedly, this time-consuming process makes students frustrated and anxious. Many people claim to not like to write. I have worked at newspapers where editors proclaim how they hate it. However, with support and tools, learners can overcome roadblocks. When students struggle to write a paper or even a sentence, it teaches them perseverance and builds the confidence needed to tackle more challenging academic pursuits. The more you write, the easier it gets.
Federal Regulation of AI
With the federal government pushing for AI integration in schools, educators must continue to challenge students to create original work. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on April 23, mandating that teachers incorporate AI literacy in grades K-12. Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth makes it a priority to “train students about AI, but also to utilize AI in their classrooms to improve educational outcomes.” However, the executive order mentions little about the risks of AI in education or the methods needed to train teachers and students. And because the implementation must be consistent with “applicable law,” states can still police how AI gets integrated into the curriculum. To date, 25 states have created AI guidance to promote the responsible use of AI in schools.
Teachers who want students to stop abusing Chat GPT and other AI-assistive writing technologies need to model that. We need to flex our own writing muscles as much as students. Here is a challenge for educators: Stop using AI to create your emails, lesson plans, and worksheets. Or, better yet, simply decrease your use of AI-generated writing. Practice what you teach. Using assistive writing software like Chat GPT not only risks academic integrity and misinformation but also limits creativity, analytic thinking, problem-solving, and originality.
All that said, we can teach students — and ourselves — how to use AI responsibly. Let us focus on reducing AI usage rather than expecting teachers, administrators, and students alike to resist the temptations of this convenient technology.
Chat GPT, how can teachers reduce the use of AI in their classrooms?
If teachers want to limit AI, it depends on why they started using it and what they want to achieve instead.
Thanks, ChatGPT. I can take it from here. Let’s break down practical tips to help teachers and students responsibly use AI-generated writing in education:
1. Think about why students are using AI.
● Is the assignment too difficult?
● Are the lessons and materials not differentiated enough?
● Does the assignment need to be divided over a longer period of time so it feels less overwhelming to students?
● Are students handwriting their drafts in class? This could allow for teachers to see the writing evolve authentically without AI.
Identify the reason students feel they need AI.
2. Establish Classroom Norms
You likely have created classroom standards when it comes to taking turns talking or going to the bathroom. Think about doing this for AI.
● Outline how AI can be used as a brainstorming tool.
● Explain how students can use it as a learning support, not a crutch.
● Define what misuse looks like and the consequences.
3. Show Students How to Identify AI
a. Demonstrate how technological tools like Turnitin, Grammarly, and ZeroGPT can spot AI.
b. Show students how AI often lacks a personalized voice. It can sound robotic and generic.
c. Localized details are not AI’s strength and it often ignores classroom-specific details.
4. Educator Tips
Teachers can still use AI detection software to sport AI-generated content. But, in the classroom, we need to emphasize prevention versus intervention. Here’s how we can prevent its use:
a. Ask your students to personally reflect on the assignment or refer to a classroom discussion. This can help to limit the use of AI-assisted writing.
b. Show students how to use AI and how to cite it in their text. Tell students how AI should support their learning, not substitute it.
c. Explain to students how AI can help them understand a complex topic or a confusing question. For instance, a student might write on their paper, “I used AI to help me brainstorm topics and ideas for this paper.”
d. AI can be used to check grammar and help edit a rough draft of a paper.
Teachers are not in the business of solely teaching lessons in efficiency. We are not creating the next generation of robots, but rather inspiring young minds to become active citizens and humans who care and think deeply about the world around them. This is why students — and educators — should not rely on AI. To make a change, we need a better message when it comes to confronting AI in the classroom. Instead of focusing on AI detection and punishing cheating students, teachers need to give students the skills and confidence to not need AI when they write.
Born and raised in Hawaii, Nalea J. Ko is a journalist turned educator. She is a New York-based special education teacher who is passionate about improving literacy and addressing income inequality in under-served schools. Nalea also earned her MFA in fiction from Brooklyn College.
