Your AI-Written Essay Probably Sucks Too, Says English Lit Professor
Maybe Just Do the Assigned Reading
For Professor Scott Graham, associate professor of the English Department at the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin, it's business as usual.
Armed with his red pen, he digs into the latest essay he's graded, fully aware that the student in question has tried to pass off an AI-generated essay as his own.
He circles some syntax mistakes. He writes some notes in the margin. He actually crosses out entire paragraphs. At the bottom of the essay in big bold letters he writes, "JUST DO THE READING."
He sighs and just shakes his head. He gives it a D.
Some things never change.
For Professor Graham and his colleagues, it is not uncommon to have students submit essays written by AI language model programs like OpenAI. Just this past semester, Graham says at least 5 students got caught using AI tools.
But he isn’t worried. In fact, he’s relieved.
“The ones the kids write, the ones the computer writes…doesn’t matter. All of them suck.”
“The ones the kids write, the ones the computer writes…doesn’t matter. All of them suck.”
He continued, “The only difference is since these essays are so easy to spot, it makes grading them really easy.”
But not all of his colleagues are so enthusiastic.
Dr. Linda Buckley, who teaches the course “Fiction Variations of the 19th Century” has a slightly dour outlook things. Not only do programs like OpenAI encourage students to cheat, she also says things get very awkward when she gives the essays back.
“Yes, there has always been cheating and plagiarism, that much is true. But now I have to explain to the student that just because they pay a monthly subscription to Jasper it won’t automatically make their essay any good. They’re almost stunned that the computer is just as dumb as they are.”
Dr. Buckley even had a situation where a student was so angry about a grade, that they outed themselves and admitted they used ChatGPT.
“She essentially told me that I was being purposefully unfair and didn’t know what I was doing because it was an AI-essay. She was throwing it into my face.”
“The student thought I was targeting them, and I said yes, ‘I’m targeting you as a cheater.’”
The boom in student use of AI software has forced some universities to crack down and create new plagiarism rules when it comes to AI. Some colleges are even creating zero tolerance policies.
The University of Texas at Austin expelled at least ten students last semester for using AI generated text.
Professor Graham thinks this might be too severe and universities should take the time to use the moment as a learning opportunity.
“Look, this is where we are today. I am not advocating for the students to plagiarize, but this is a new sign of the times.”
“Let them use AI…it doesn’t matter. The essay will still be flawed and lack the essential in-depth components of literary analysis.”
He paused and grinned a sinister smile.
“I’m actually thinking of assigning an essay that I will require the students to use nothing but AI. Then they will see just how harsh I can be.”