Fresh Air

Professors Are Using A.I., Too. Now What?

127 snips
May 21, 2025
Kashmir Hill, a tech reporter at The New York Times specializing in privacy and technology's unintended consequences, discusses the growing use of A.I. in education. She reveals how professors are turning to A.I. tools for teaching and grading, while students grapple with its impact on academic integrity. Hill shares her personal experiment of letting A.I. run her life for a week, raising ethical questions about dependency on technology. The conversation explores emotional attachments to chatbots and the implications of A.I.'s role in daily decision-making.
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INSIGHT

AI Writing Sounds Uniform

  • Professors can detect AI-generated essays by repetitive words and formatting patterns.
  • Students' essays often lose individuality because AI produces similar styles and phrases.
ANECDOTE

Professor's AI Use Upsets Student

  • A Northeastern student found AI-generated content in her professor's lecture notes and slides.
  • The AI errors included distorted text and images, causing her to request a tuition refund.
INSIGHT

AI Eases Professors' Workloads

  • Professors use AI to save time on lesson prep and grading, especially adjuncts with heavy workloads.
  • AI allows professors to offer more student interaction but may make materials feel less authentic.
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