Don’t let your students use AI as a ghostwriter

Using generative artificial intelligence models to kick ideas around is more effective than outsourcing thinking wholesale, says Yanjun Shen. Credit: jabkitticha/iStock via Getty Last May, I received a PhD research proposal that, on the surface, seemed flawless: the prose flowed effortlessly, the logic was airtight and the citations were meticulously organized and arranged. As an interdisciplinary researcher in geology and ecology investigating the relationships between rocks, soil, water and vegetation, my laboratory is usually a place of physical observations and complex modelling. The proposal suggested a project looking at how often roots form in various kinds of rock. However, my good impression of the proposal was shattered when I asked the prospective student about a specific detail about how the experiment would work, to assess their understanding of the underlying science. Their eyes darted away and silence filled the room. I came to the sobering realization that this polished document was not the result of deep critical thinking and a solid understanding of the subject matter, but rather the articulate, yet ultimately mediocre, output of an artificial-intelligence model. After some of my own prompting, the student confessed they had used AI tools to put together the research proposal, and that they hadn’t thought deeply about the topic or taken on a literature review. …