AI is Here to Stay, Unfortunately

I think what's clear about the use of AI in the classroom is this: It's here, and it doesn't look like we can do much about it.

I say this not with a defeatist attitude, but with the bent of thinking, "We can use this to our advantage."

I think we need an assignment where we challenge students to use AI as a writing tool, but with a few caveats:

1. They have to tell us what AI tools they're using and, importantly, why they're using it.

2. They have to cross-check what AI is writing with more, ahem, traditional methods (their own research and their own writing).

3. They have to be held responsible when their cross-checking allows something erroneous to slip through.

I've been doing some extracurricular reading on AI use in the classroom, and a lot of it comes back to the fundamentals of teaching: Students don't learn from the curriculum, they learn from instructors who care. We're showing we care about the quality of work by banning the use of AI -- but clearly, based on the discussions in this group, that's not reaching all students.

We need to find out why our students are using AI, and see if there are tools and methods we can use to fill in the reasons for AI use. I think we need to drop the accusatory tones and recalibrate -- catching them and calling them out doesn't seem to be working.

Of particular interest: Stanford University researchers think they've detected bias against non-native English speakers in AI detectors. The detectors found that in their sampling, more than half of essays written by non-native speakers were incorrectly flagged as being AI-generated, while a control group of native speakers showed less bias.

Researchers recommend teachers get to know their students' writing style and ability early on so they can recognize it. That works unless they start off using AI to write.

So I don't know what to do or think, other than just blow the whole thing up.