The Brian Lehrer Show What Students Lose When ChatGPT Writes Their Essays
Jul 8, 2025
Hua Hsu, a New Yorker staff writer and professor at Bard College, sheds light on the complex relationship between AI and education. He discusses how reliance on tools like ChatGPT can undermine critical thinking and personal engagement in writing. Hsu argues that we must rethink educational goals, emphasizing the value of human intellect over rote learning. He also highlights students' frustrations with AI feedback, raising ethical concerns about evaluation methods and the broader implications of technology in academic settings.
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NYU Students Outsource Essays to AI
- Alex and Eugene, two NYU students, use AI tools for most of their essays and emails to save time.
- Alex, interested in accounting, uses AI for 90% of his art history class work and retains very little knowledge from it.
AI Short-Circuits Learning Magic
- AI tools risk short-circuiting the deep learning process and the 'moments of magic' in education.
- The broader societal challenge is adapting to AI, not just managing college use.
Teach Curiosity for Humanity
- Teach students to question everything, including educators, to cultivate curiosity.
- Focus education on preparing students for humanity, not just workforce or consumer roles.
