Students losing their minds over AI

Taiwanese writer Chu Yu-hsun (朱宥勳) this month spoke out about the difficulties of judging literary competitions when nearly 40 percent of the novel submissions he reviews appear to be generated by artificial intelligence (AI). He said he would refuse to serve as a judge for any literary award that does not explicitly prohibit the use of AI in creative writing.

The use of AI in creative and academic work has become increasingly common. My son, who attends National Chengchi University, says he is exasperated after working to complete assignments on his own, only to receive lower grades than classmates who used AI. Professors might have told students not to use the technology, but they still struggle to identify AI-generated work when grading assignments.

Schools cannot simply allow students to misuse AI to the point that their intellectual and creative abilities stagnate. Concrete measures must be taken to prevent human thinking from being replaced by AI and to preserve education as a process that stimulates creativity.

An important first step should be to encourage more handwriting in schoolwork. Work produced with pen and paper is more likely to be the student’s own, and can help with stimulating thinking and creativity. It could also help foster patience, self-cultivation and emotional regulation as broader life skills.

Schools should also increase the number of written-response questions in assessments. Students would spend more time practicing with pen and paper, developing the fluency and creativity needed to perform well and earn higher marks in examinations.

Reading is, of course, also important. Teachers can take advantage of opportunities to have students read aloud, not only in Chinese-language classes, but also in other subjects. Outside of classes, students could read written materials during morning sessions, class meetings and club activities. Reading can improve students’ comprehension, while reading aloud strengthens their ability to express themselves and helps cultivate literacy.

AI might not be stoppable, but schools still have options to provide students opportunities to develop necessary cognitive skills. Such measures would not only prevent intellectual decline and promote creativity, but also cultivate the kind of self-development needed to navigate the world.

Chen Chi-nung is former principal of Kuohsin Junior High School in Nantou County.