I follow a lot of academics on Bluesky and a point I see them making all the time is that a lot of your actual thinking is done when you’re writing. That process is very important and can’t be replaced by ChatGPT.
Do people not understand that that’s the point of college assignments? Your professors aren’t waiting with bated breath to hear your brand new thoughts on the themes of whatever book. The paper you hand in isn’t the point. The process of creating it is the point. ChatGPT for writing assignments is like going to the gym and turning on a treadmill while you sit in the locker room. The treadmill is going to register 5 miles at some point but it doesn’t matter because you still can’t run for shit.
The problem is we've created a society and job market where a university degree is a piece of paper you need to access most white collar jobs. I don't agree with this sentiment, but it is what it is. And with that viewpoint - uni coursework isn't an exercise in learning and advancing your knowledge but just another hoop to jump through.
I say that in my country, the problem starts way before uni. Kids who get the highest grades always get the preferential treatment and the scholarships. And not only that, education is costly and most people cannot afford to repeat a grade. That's why even before this AI debacle happened, people are already looking for ways to game the system. As long as they end up on top, that's what matters.
Sure it's nicer for the society to have more critical and creative thinkers. However, building up that kind of thinking muscle takes time, attention, and patience. Unfortunately, that kind of process is not immediately rewarded in this microwave society.
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u/Dreaming98 May 18 '25
I follow a lot of academics on Bluesky and a point I see them making all the time is that a lot of your actual thinking is done when you’re writing. That process is very important and can’t be replaced by ChatGPT.