The Challenges of Teaching in the Age of AI

Experiencing the AI Effect

Imagine being an English teacher in 2025. Reading an AI-generated text is akin to expecting a grape jelly bean but biting into something altogether different. It’s not bad, but it lacks authenticity.

This artificiality extends beyond taste; it permeates the very act of learning. Stanford professor Jane Riskin critiques AI-generated essays as “flat, featureless…the literary equivalent of fluorescent lighting.” The joy of reading student papers can feel like basking in sunlight, only to be jolted back to a stark fluorescent-lit room, consuming dollar-store candy.

The Allure and Danger of AI in Education

Students attempting to outsmart their teachers is nothing new. However, when they leverage AI tools to create what Shannon Vallor calls a “truth-shaped word collage,” they are not just deceiving their teachers—they’re also lying to themselves. As Tulane professor Stan Oklobdzija notes, asking a computer to write an essay is akin to “going to the gym and having robots lift the weights for you.”

Writing is not merely an academic task; it serves as a form of intellectual training. Just as lifting weights demonstrates physical strength, writing showcases cognitive development. AI sidesteps this crucial mental exercise, leaving students unable to perform the intellectual heavy lifting that is the hallmark of education.

Research backs this concern. A recent MIT Media Lab study found that AI tools can dull neural connections associated with learning, warning that “while LLMs (large language models) offer immediate convenience, [these] findings highlight potential cognitive costs.”

Given these implications, it is imperative to recognize AI as an existential threat to education, which we must address seriously.

Human vs. Humanoid

What captivates us about these AI tools? Are we enchanted by novelty, or does our fascination with AI reflect deeper fears about our own humanity? In her book The AI Mirror, Vallor employs the myth of Narcissus to illustrate how we project our hopes and anxieties onto computer-generated text.

The themes in Jacques Offenbach’s 1851 opera, “The Tales of Hoffmann,” resonate with our current relationship with AI. As critic Jason Farago noted, a recent production at the Met featured soprano Erin Morley emphasizing the automaton Olympia’s artificiality by adding “almost nonhumanly high” notes absent from the original score. This moment captured how our own creative impulses distinguish us from AI.

Hoffmann, the protagonist, develops a romantic illusion about Olympia only when outfitted with special glasses that distort reality. When these glasses fall away, he sees her true nature: “A mere machine! A painted doll!”

This dichotomy captures our struggle: we find ourselves torn between the dreams of AI and the raw realities of the classroom.

Re-evaluating Our Approach

Are we being misled by false perceptions? The fervor surrounding AI has reached dizzying heights. This past summer, a significant budget bill nearly passed that would have prevented states from regulating AI, illustrating the urgency of this conversation.

While companies like Oracle, SoftBank, and OpenAI are projected to invest $3 trillion in AI over the next three years, it is essential to recognize that the realities we face are complex and often misleading.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, predicts that AI could eliminate up to 70 percent of current jobs, suggesting that traditional methods of writing might become obsolete. “Using the tool to best discover and express ideas is the future,” he mentioned in a recent interview.

However, educators who value critical thinking and genuine expression may find this future disconcerting.

So, how can we take control of the situation? Teachers and curriculum leaders must be more discerning in their assessment methods. The allure of AI is potent, and many students will use it despite resistance from some.

One student candidly remarked that “everyone he knew used ChatGPT in some capacity,” and it’s a sentiment echoed by many in today’s educational landscape.

Alternative Assessment and Critical Reflection

Recognizing this reality calls for a shift towards alternative assessment methods, such as in-class assignments and oral presentations that prioritize learning experiences. While these options may consume more class time, they will shed light on how students engage with ideas without relying on AI.

Additionally, it’s crucial to critically examine AI’s influence in our classrooms. We must challenge the status quo amidst leadership that fully embraces its promises. A thought-provoking question from Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna’s book, The AI Con, asks, “Are these systems being described as human?” This inquiry is vital to understanding the true capabilities and limitations of AI.

The Power of Authentic Expression

As June ushered in the end of a poetry unit filled with uninspired, AI-influenced works, I had my class put away their laptops. We would write our poems by hand, during class. Initial groans echoed around the room, but soon students were meticulously searching for words, crafting rhymes. I encouraged one student to vocalize alphabet sounds for inspiration.

“But good doesn’t rhyme with food…” he protested.

“Not perfectly,” I replied, “but it’s a slant rhyme—perfectly acceptable.”

In shifting focus from quantity to quality, we crafted only three poems instead of the usual four or five. However, these creations were imbued with individuality and authenticity. I saw sparks of imagination ignite as students wrote, revised, and reflected.

The atmosphere transformed from sterile to vibrant, filled with human creativity. It felt like regaining a sense of taste after illness—no longer artificial, but real.