Hacker News: I Quit Teaching Because of ChatGPT

Source URL: https://time.com/7026050/chatgpt-quit-teaching-ai-essay/
Source: Hacker News
Title: I Quit Teaching Because of ChatGPT

Feedly Summary: Comments

AI Summary and Description: Yes

**Summary:** The text reflects on the author’s experience as a teacher and the impact of large language models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, on students’ writing abilities. It highlights the challenges and ethical considerations of AI in education, the reliance of students on generative AI tools, and the implications for critical thinking and originality in academic writing.

**Detailed Description:**
The content presents a poignant examination of how the emergence of generative AI, particularly LLMs, is influencing academic writing and the learning process. The author argues against the prevalent use of AI tools among students and shares personal experiences and observations from their teaching role. Critical insights include:

– **Reliance on AI Tools:**
– Many students resort to using ChatGPT for drafting and revising their research work, undermining the learning process.
– LLMs are recognized as unreliable for research due to tendencies to hallucinate or fabricate citations.

– **Consequences on Learning:**
– The use of AI diminishes the cognitive effort required in writing and understanding, akin to using shortcuts that prevent mastering the craft.
– Students often fail to critically analyze AI-generated content, indicating a lack of development in writing skills.

– **Pedagogical Challenges:**
– Educators face difficulties in teaching effective writing when students depend overwhelmingly on generative AI tools.
– Despite demonstrating the limitations of AI in writing, the author’s efforts to guide students back to authentic writing practices were largely unsuccessful.

– **Ethical and Technical Concerns:**
– The use of generative AI raises ethical dilemmas around originality and academic integrity, as students may inadvertently plagarize or misrepresent their understanding.

– **Democratization vs. Diminution:**
– While AI can democratize writing support for non-native speakers, it can also simplify the complexity of writing, leading to misalignments in meaning.

– **The Need for Adaptation:**
– The author emphasizes the necessity for educators to rethink pedagogical strategies, moving towards methods that encourage critical thinking and personal engagement in writing, even amidst the distractions posed by AI.

Ultimately, the text offers a critical perspective on the implications of generative AI in educational contexts, advocating for greater emphasis on cognitive engagement and the intrinsic value of writing as a means of understanding and expression.